


Glimmering Sunshine

by bjfic_archivist



Category: Queer as Folk (US)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2003-07-31
Updated: 2003-07-31
Packaged: 2018-12-27 04:57:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 60,139
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12073959
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bjfic_archivist/pseuds/bjfic_archivist
Summary: With Brian's help, Justin starts to get his life back under control. Sequel toSubdued Sunshine. Second story in the Sunshine series.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Note from IrishCaelan, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [The Brian/Justin Fanfiction Archive](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Brian_Justin_Fanfiction_Archive). To preserve the archive, I began importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in September 2017. I posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [The Brian/Justin Fanfiction Archive collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/bjfic/profile).

“I am not watching Powerpuff Girls again,” Sally protested as she followed Justin through the loft. “You got away with it last weekend, but cartoon sympathy weekend is over and done with. This weekend it’s Scooby-Doo.” 

Justin turned to Sally, pout firmly in place. “But I wanna watch Powerpuff Girls. You promised that we’d watch it this weekend.” 

“Oh no, Taylor. Put the pout away,” Sally ordered, pointing a finger at him. “It’s not gonna work on me. I already gave up Scooby-Doo last Saturday for you so it’s definitely my turn this week.” 

“But technically it’s my turn,” Justin tried, knowing that he wasn’t going to win, but having to try anyway. 

Sally grinned triumphantly. “Well if you want to get technical, we need to watch two weeks of Scooby-Doo so we’ll be even.” 

Two of the glass partitions blocking surrounding the bedroom swung open before Justin could protest further. Immediately, the two teens swung their gaze towards the opening only to find a very disheveled and very naked man glowering down at them, complete with early morning hard on. 

Or rather, first consciousness hard on since it was coming on twelve o’clock. 

“You know, it’s really evil taunting me like that, Brian,” Sally complained as she took in Brian’s fresh out of bed appearance. “If I wasn’t jealous enough of Justin as it was you have to go and flaunt yourself like that. Seriously, do you want me to be straight again?” 

Brian met Sally’s admonishing glare with an equally unimpressed one. “Do you have any idea what time it is, Smurf?” 

“It’s noon,” Justin informed his lover, reminding the two of his presence. At the same time, he was quite amused by their little performance. People who called Justin a drama princess obviously hadn’t seen Brian and Sally in action. 

“Shit,” Brian cursed, already heading in the direction of the bathroom. “I have to meet with my new trainer at one. Why didn’t you wake me up?” 

Justin rolled his eyes in Sally’s direction before taking off at a jog after Brian. “I did try to wake you. Several times as a matter of fact. You’re the one who kept rolling over and going back to sleep.” 

“Then you should have tried harder,” Brian told him as he headed straight for the shower. 

“I’m not your alarm clock, Bri,” Justin laughed, watching the movements of Brian’s muscles beneath the surface of his skin as he fiddled with the knobs in the shower. “So have your shower, I’ll go make you one of your gross shakes.” 

To his complete surprise, Brian reached an arm out of the shower and yanked Justin in with him, clothes and all. 

“What did I tell you of making fun of my shakes?” Brian asked with an arched eyebrow, holding Justin around the waist. 

Justin continued to laugh, draping his right arm across Brian’s shoulders as he used his left hand to push his wet bangs away from his face. “They’re unnatural. You should try eating food like a normal person.” 

“This from the twink who’d live off pizza and chocolate milk if I’d let you,” Brian reminded him, slipping his fingers under the hem of Justin’s soaked t-shirt. 

“At least it’s a real food. Solid food,” Brian pointed out as he pulled himself closer to Brian, grin firmly planed on his face. “Now if you wouldn’t mind letting me go, you can take your shower and I can go make you something to eat.” 

“Don’t you want to stay in here?” Brian pouted, his lower body swaying slightly in the parody of sex. 

Justin pretended to think about it for a moment before shaking his head. “As much as I’d love to stick around and join you in here, Sally’s out there. So I’d better get out there before she gets bored and comes in here.” 

Groaning loudly, Brian dropped his head onto Justin’s shoulder. “Then make her go away and get your bubble butt back in here.” 

Justin burrowed his face against the dip where Brian’s neck met his shoulder. “But if I do that, you’re definitely gonna be late for your meeting with the trainer. Besides, me and Sally have a cartoon date.” 

“You are no fun at all,” Brian complained as he allowed his arms to drop from around Justin’s waist. 

“I’m also wearing soaking wet jeans,” Justin whined, backing far enough away from Brian so that he could pull his shirt over his shoulder. “Which are really uncomfortable.” 

Knowing that he wouldn’t be getting out of the shower stall in the near future if he shed his drenched jeans and boxer briefs in there, Justin left them on as he made his escape. He glanced back at Brian over his shoulder and it was everything he could do not to go back in as his gaze fell on his lover who had his face tilted towards the pouring water. Whimpering slightly, Justin grabbed hold of a towel as he made his way back into the bedroom, where he wouldn’t be tempted to jump back in and join Brian in the shower. 

It took Justin a few minutes to change into some dry clothes and clean up the water on the floor. The sound of the shower going full blast was very distracting, though. 

“Taylor, will you get out here!” Sally called from over by the TV. “Scooby-Doo’s gonna start any second now!” 

“Coming!” Justin shouted back as he wrapped his wet clothes up in the towel and tossed them into the bathroom. 

He paused momentarily to watch Brian through the steamed up glass before making a hasty retreat to the main part of the loft. Far enough away so that he wouldn’t be tempted to join Brian in the shower as he did almost every morning. 

“Are you sure we can’t watch Powerpuff Girls?” Justin pleaded from the kitchen as he poured Brian a glass of guava juice. Placing both the glass and the juice container back in the fridge, Justin quickly scribbled “Drink Me,” on a scrap of paper and leaned it up against the glass before joining Sally for their Saturday cartoon tradition. 

His pout must have worked because Sally let him get away with watching his cartoon for the third time in a row. The previous weekend, Sally had willingly given up Scooby-Doo because of what had happened on Monday, but Justin was surprised that she had given it up a second week in a row. He wasn’t going to complain, though. Justin laid lengthwise on the couch, his head resting on Sally’s lap as they watched Blossom, Buttercup and Bubbles defend Townsville from evildoers. 

After about twenty minutes, amidst the generated sounds of a cartoon battle, Justin could hear Brian shuffling around in the bedroom. And even though most of his attention was focused on the television show, out of the corner of his eye he could see Sally glancing towards the mirrored dividers, hoping to catch a peek at Brian who never cared who was around when he paraded around naked. 

“He’s putting on jeans and a t-shirt,” Justin informed her, not taking his eyes away from the screen. “Then he’ll go to the fridge, get the juice and rush out of here. You’re not gonna see him naked.” 

“Again.” 

“Again,” Justin conceded with a grin. “Now shush and watch the cartoon.” 

“Twat,” Sally giggled, lightly smacking him on the head. “Ruin all my fun.” 

Brian exited the bedroom then and the sound of his footsteps indicated that he was heading directly for the kitchen just as Justin had predicted. “Smurf, you’re a lesbian, you don’t need to see dick.” 

“That’s your opinion!” Sally cried over her shoulder. “I happen to be quite fond of dicks. Yours in particular. So be a good best friend’s boyfriend and show me your cock.” 

“I’m nothing but a sexual object to you, am I?” Brian demanded as he made his way over to the couch. 

Sally grinned from ear to ear, dropping her head onto the back of the couch. “Was there ever any doubt?” 

“Nice friend you’ve got there,” Brian said to Justin as he reached the couch, staring down at the two upturned faces. “Do I dare ask what the two of you have planned for today or would it be better if I didn’t know?” 

“Better if you didn’t know,” Sally grinned up at him, doing nothing to inspire confidence in either man. Then she glanced down at Justin, her smile fading somewhat. “Isn’t today your sister’s birthday?” 

Instantly, Justin regretting telling her about his plans to make a short visit to his parent’s for Molly’s birthday. While he may never want anything to do with his parents again, Justin still cared about his sister. That meant showing up for her birthday if nothing else. Of course, Justin had made his plans to visit Molly before the things with Damian had happened over the past few weeks. 

“I don’t think I’m gonna go,” Justin mumbled, turning away from Brian and Sally and watching a McDonalds commercial. “I’ll just send Moll her present or something.” 

Reaching across Sally, Brian grabbed hold of Justin’s chin and forced his gaze away from the television. “Why aren’t you going to see your sister?” 

“Because Molly won’t care whether I’m there or not. She’ll just be happy to get a present,” Justin stated, staring at the ceiling rather than at Brian or Sally. 

“Sit up, Sunshine,” Brian ordered, quickly setting his glass of guava juice down on the ground behind the couch. 

Not too sure what was coming, Justin sat up slowly, still facing the armrest, his back to Sally. He did, however, meet Brian’s eyes without having to be told. He felt instantly calm when he caught sight of warm hazel orbs, knowing that Brian would never do anything to hurt him. 

“Why don’t you want to go, Justin?” Brian asked gently, crouching down behind the couch so that his face was level with Justin’s. “Last I heard you wanted to go see your sister. What changed?” 

Justin glanced down at his lap, shrugging his shoulders slightly. “I just think it would be better if I didn’t go. They won’t want me there anyway.” 

“Do you want to be there?” Brian pressed, sliding his fingers into Justin’s hair at the nape of his neck. 

“I want to be there....” 

“Then you’re going,” Brian declared, not giving Justin a chance to come up with any other excuses not to go. “You and Sally keep yourselves occupied until I get back then we’ll go see mini-you. Okay?” 

Justin hesitated for a moment then nodded his head. “Yeah. As long as you come with me. I’m not ready to face my dad. Not right now.” 

“I’ll be there,” Brian promised, leaning forward to brush a kiss against his forehead. “But right now I’ve got to go or else I’ll be late.” With that, Brian rose to his feet, taking the glass with him. “Remember, if the two of you go out, don’t forget to set the alarm.” 

“Don’t worry, Bri, what I’ve got planned doesn’t require leaving the loft,” Sally called after him. 

Glancing back at Sally in mock terror, Justin gripped the back of the couch. “Don’t leave me alone with her, Brian! She’s insane!” 

“She’s your best friend,” Brian laughed before slamming the loft door shut. “Behave!” 

“We will,” Sally singsonged, stealing the remote control from Justin’s lax grip. “Scooby-Doo!” 

“Scooby-Doo’s over,” Justin told her as he lowered his head back onto her lap. He shifted a little bit to get comfortable, then turned his attention onto getting the remote back from her. “Put it back on Powerpuff Girls.” 

Sally gave him a withered look, lightly flicking him on the forehead. “If my show is over, so is yours.” 

“Not if there’s a Powerpuff Girls marathon,” Justin informed her. 

Sally’s eyes got really big. “Fuck no! I sat through one. That’s more than enough. Here. Let’s watch this. I haven’t seen this movie in forever.” 

“What is it?” Justin asked, turning his head so that he could see the screen. 

“The Lost Boys,” Sally said with a happy sigh. “Platinum blonde Keiffer Sutherland, long-haired Jason Patrick in a leather jacket....” 

Justin looked up at Sally, barely able to contain a smirk. “You do realize that you associate everyone with their hair?” 

“Your point?” Sally asked, not bothering to hide her smirk. 

“Just an observation.” 

With a finger on his cheek, Sally turned his gaze back to the television. “Watch.” 

The movie was an incredibly cheesy 80’s vampire movie, but Justin got a kick out of it. He could just imagine Brian’s reactions to some of the clothes the actors wore and viciously pictured his lover in the bizarre wardrobe. Brian had been a teenager in the 80’s so it wasn’t that far of a reach to picture him in such clothes. Of course, Justin knew that he’s be a dead man if he even suggested that Brian would wear something as hideous as that. 

So he’d save it for a special occasion. 

“You do realize that the costume art thingy is this Friday, right?” Sally asked as the closing credits began to roll down the screen. 

Justin’s eyes widened momentarily and he quickly rolled off the couch and out of Sally’s reach. “Oh no! Not happening!” 

“Oh come on, Justin. Don’t be a baby,” Sally groaned, shutting off the TV and following him into the kitchen. “It won’t be that bad. You might even like it.” 

“How could I like it?” Justin asked as dialed the number for pizza place down the street. He quickly placed the order, his eyes never straying from Sally as she danced across the loft in the direction of her letterbag. “Don’t even think about it, Sally Ann Davis. Put the bag down.” 

“You are such a brat,” Sally complained, leaving her bag and crossing over to the kitchen where she slumped into one of the stools. “So if you won’t be Sid Vicious, who are we going to go as?” 

“Remind me again why we even need to match?” Justin prodded as he turned to grab a pair of Mountain Dews from the fridge. “You can go as Nancy and I’ll go as.... something else.” 

Sally looked at him as though he were insane. “If you don’t go as Sid, how will anyone know I’m Nancy? They’ll just think I’m Courtney Love or something.” 

“You’re not dying my hair.” 

“Not even purple highlights?” 

“No.” 

“Green?” 

“No.” 

“Red?” 

“Sally!” 

“Oh! I’ve got it! Rainbow coloured highlights.” 

“Sally!” Justin snickered, tossing a bagel at her. “You’re not dying my hair!” 

Sally stuck out her bottom lip. “Please?” 

“Arg!”


	2. Glimmering Sunshine

The quick fuck in the gym’s sauna had fortified him for what was to come. He wasn’t fool enough to think that their visit Casa del Taylor would be an uneventful one. Brian also knew that it was one that Justin needed to make. To put his demons behind him once and for all. He was still young enough so that he could actually get rid of them instead of just hiding them away. 

“Get your butt in gear, Sunshine, or we’re going to miss the cake,” Brian called as he entered the loft. 

“Did someone mention cake?” Sally chirped as she bounced down the steps leading from the bedroom. 

As soon as he caught sight of the smug grin on the girl’s face, Brian knew that something was up. 

“Where’s Justin?” Brian asked as he stepped further into the loft, warily heading towards the bedroom. 

“Here.” 

The reason for Justin’s quiet voice was revealed as soon as he appeared at the top of the stairs. He was dressed in a pair of jeans, heavy work boots and a black wife beater. The black shirt made his skin especially pale. 

An effect which was considerably aided by his now jet black hair which was spiked up in various directions. 

“Sally, what did you do to him?” Brian demanded as he slowly stalked towards the two teens. 

Sally grinned at Justin over her shoulder. “Don’t you think he makes a good Sid Vicious?” 

“Sid Vicious?” Brian repeated, climbing the steps to come stand next to Justin. “What does that make you? Nancy?” 

“Got it in one,” she confirmed as she scooped her bag off the ground and looped it over her shoulder. “And now that my work is done, I’ve gotta go. Give your sister my love, Sid. Later, Bri.” 

The door slammed shut, leaving the loft in complete silence. 

“You hate it, don’t you?” Justin grumbled as he snaked his fingers into his hair, flattening it against his skull. 

Reaching over, Brian linked his fingers with Justin’s which still rested on the top of his head, drawing it down to his side. His other hand he placed on the boy’s waist, urging his body around so that Brian could see into his face. “I don’t hate it, Justin. I just didn’t expect to find you with a new hair colour when I came back. How the hell did she managed to talk you into this?” 

“I’m still trying to figure it out,” Justin chuckled, grinning wryly up at Brian. “It’s better than the multi-coloured highlights she was threatening me with.” 

“Thank god for that,” Brian agreed, brushing a kiss against Justin’s forehead. He pulled Justin against him, resting his cheek against the top of his head. “So are you ready to head off to the old homestead?” 

Justin tensed slightly, but nodded his head. “We’d better go now before I lose my nerve and chicken out.” 

“We don’t have to go if you don’t want to,” Brian offered, giving him a way out. He wasn’t about to force Justin into something he wasn’t ready for. 

Justin may have appeared to be just as he had before the last incidents with Damian with the exception of the still-healing wound on his left forearm, but Brian knew that he was still hurting. The others may have been fooled by the front Justin was putting up, Brian, however, was the one who was there when Justin had a temporary break, when he let the facade drop or when he woke up screaming from a nightmare. Brian was the only one that Justin would let the act drop in front of. Sally had gotten a brief glimpse earlier in the afternoon, but it was just that. A glimpse of how bad Justin was still hurting. 

“I want to go,” Justin told him, lifting his head so that their foreheads touched. “Just don’t leave me alone around them. I’ll be okay around Molly, but....” 

“Don’t worry,” Brian promised him, kissing Justin’s upper lip. “I’ll be there as long as you need me. You know that.” 

Justin nodded his head almost imperfecptively. “Just making sure.” 

Then Justin pulled away from Brian and made his way over to the closet to retrieve Molly’s present. Sally and Justin had bought it a few weeks ago, so Brian wasn’t too sure what it was, but with the Smurf involved in its purchase he could only guess. It would be like taking Emmett shopping for clothes. Except, in this case, Brian knew that the purchase would be a good one. Otherwise Justin wouldn’t be giving it to his sister. 

“So what did you get Molly?” Brian asked as he locked the loft door behind them. “Or do I want to even know?” 

“A vintage Rainbow Brite doll,” Justin grinned, holding up the package. “Guess who spotted it?” 

Brian draped his arm across Justin’s shoulders as they descended the stairs. “Why am I not surprised? Does Molly even know who Rainbow Brite is?” 

“It’s a doll. That’s all she’ll care about,” Justin said confidently, the smile never leaving his face. 

“Touché.” 

There wasn’t much said on the ride into the vast land of suburbia. Glancing over at him occasionally, Brian could tell that Justin was readying himself for what would invariably happen when they got to his parents’ home. As much as Brian knew his parents regretted his very existence, at least they hadn’t banished them from his life. Brian had gotten to do that first. 

Only now Justin had a chance to show them that he could survive without them. That he could make a life for himself. Which was just what he had done. It may be a little jagged around the edges, but Justin’s life was definitely a good one. One that he could be proud of.... When he wasn’t about to be dragged out to the firing squad which was how he undoubtedly had to feel at that moment. 

“You sure you’re up for this?” Brian pressed again as he pulled the jeep onto the street Justin had called home for the first sixteen years of his life. “We can still head back to the loft. Or go to the diner for a late lunch.” 

“No,” Justin said immediately. “I want to go. Show them that they can’t pretend that I don’t exist.” 

There was no mistaking that, by far, Justin was the strongest person he had ever met. The kid had been through a lot of shit in a very short time and was still perfectly capable of acting like an immature brat when it served his purpose. Which was pretty much whenever he wanted Brian to devour various greasy foods. Brian hadn’t eaten as much pizza since he was a teenager. 

“Well here we are,” Brian announced, putting the jeep into park by the mailbox, complete with pink balloons. 

“Here we are,” Justin echoed, leaning back into his seat. He took a single, deep breath then unfastened his seatbelt. “I can do this.” 

Brian leaned over in his seat, catching Justin behind his head and pulling him close. “I know you can,” he murmured, leaning in for a quick kiss, calming the teen. 

Taking his cue from Justin, Brian waited until he climbed out of the jeep before exiting himself. He met the artist a the front of the vehicle and, arm in arm, Justin guided them around to the back of the house where the party was being held. The perfect suburban children’s party. Brian had heard about them all the time when he was a kid, but had never been to one. He was just some poor kid with skinned knees and second hand clothes. It would have been unheard of for him to go to a party in the mystical land of suburbia. 

However, it was the life Justin had grown up a part of. He was one of those country club brats that Brian had always been so envious of while growing up. Now Brian could easily be one of them if he really wanted to. It would require him being a back slapping breeder, something which he would never be, not even to gain the biggest account of his life. 

With practiced ease, Justin flipped the hidden latch which opened the wooden gate leading into the backyard. It was a little girl’s dream come true and a nightmare for Brian. There were pink balloons and streamers everywhere, Britney Spears blaring from a portable CD player and at least twenty suburban princesses with little plastic tiaras running around. 

“JUSTIN!” 

As soon as he set eyes on Molly Taylor, running full tilt towards them, Brian could see the instant resemblance between the siblings. The same mile wide smiles, glowing blue eyes and nearly platinum blonde hair. Justin handed him the present and held his arms out just in time to catch the mini-whirlwind as she dove into him. 

“Where have you been, Duster? I haven’t seen you in forever,” Molly lamented as she clung tightly to her big brother. 

Justin held Molly just as tightly, not saying a single word as he buried his face against her slender neck. Without even being fully aware of it, Brian found himself reaching out to place a comforting hand on the small of the Justin’s back. 

“Who are you?” Molly asked, peering at him over Justin’s shoulder. 

Brian was startled for a moment, caught off guard by the sight of Justin’s eyes gazing back at him from another person’s face. “I’m Brian. A friend of your brother’s.” 

Molly considered him for a moment, her lips pursing. “Aren’t you too old?” 

That got a laugh out of Justin and seemed to break him out of whatever trance he was in. “He’s not old, Moll. Just old compared to a little twerp like you,” he teased, pulling his head back so that he could peer into his sister’s grinning face. 

“I’m not a twerp,” Molly declared with a pouting frown. “Does this mean you’re coming home now? I’ve missed you.” 

“I’ve missed you too,” Justin told her and Brian noticed the way he shifted his arm to avoid putting any pressure on the gash on his arm without bringing any attention to it. “But I’m not coming home. I just came to see you for your birthday.” 

“Did you bring me a present?” Molly asked, her smile getting impossibly bigger. 

Brian couldn’t help but laugh out loud at that. “She is definitely your little sister.” 

“Shut up, Bri,” Justin laughed back, moving a hand back to swat at him and grabbing the present from him in the process. “Here you go, Mollusk.” 

Molly wiggled out of his arms then and grabbed the present from him, unwrapping it with a childlike glee which only grew when she saw the doll inside. “This is so cool, Justin! Look at her dress! It’s all shiny! Thank you!” Molly cheered as she hugged him around the waist. She pulled back almost as quickly but kept a firm hold of his right hand as she dragged him towards the throng of nine year olds. 

Justin managed a quick glance over his shoulder, casting a horrified look in his lover’s direction. “Don’t just stand there, help me!” 

Still chuckling quietly, Brian followed after the pair. Molly was talking a million miles an hour, not giving Justin a chance to respond as she filled him in on the events he had missed over the past eight months. Brian remained in the background, allowing the pair to enjoy their time together. Even if Justin had been wary of attending the little birthday celebration, it was obvious that he was glad to be there. 

“How come your hair’s black, Duster?” Molly asked, coming to a sudden stop in her little tour of presents. 

That caught Brian’s attention. “I’d like to know that myself, Duster. When I went to the gym you had blonde hair, but when I came back you looked like this? How did Sally manage to talk you into dying your hair?” 

Justin shot Brian a mock glare, an effect which was completely ruined by his inability to quell his instinctive grin. “As soon as I figure it out I’ll be sure to let you know. Just be happy she didn’t get away with dying my hair rainbow colours.” 

“How come your hair isn’t rainbow colours?” Molly pouted, look quite put out that her brother had gone for boring instead of interesting. 

“Because, Mollusk, I don’t want to have rainbow hair,” Justin grinned, crouching down so that he was eye level with her. “Maybe when you’re older, mom will let--” 

“Justin?!” 

The instant that Jennifer Taylor appeared at the back door, Brian noticed Justin’s entire body tensing. The teen rose slowly to his feet, unconsciously backing towards Brian. It didn’t help matter much that she looked as though she were about to charge him at any given moment. Justin still had a tendency to get edgy when Deb did that and he saw her on an almost daily basis. As Justin closed in on him, Brian wrapped his arms around the boy’s waist, pulling him back against his chest and offering silent support. 

“Sweetheart, how are you? Are you all right?” Jennifer asked, starting to reach towards him several times only to pull her hand back each time when she saw Justin flinch. 

“Why start worrying about me now? You never have in the past,” Justin shot back, his voice trembling only slightly. 

The older woman blanched at that, tears filling her eyes. “I’ll always care about you, Justin. You’re my son. I love you.” 

“If you loved me, you wouldn’t have thrown me out onto the street,” Justin pointed out, tightly gripping Brian’s forearms. “You would have at least pretended to give a shit about me. But you couldn’t even do that. So you don’t get to tell me that you love me or call me your son. I’m nothing to you. The only reason I’m here is to see Molly.” 

Brian noticed that Molly’s eyes had gotten exceptionally wide, her expression the same as Justin’s when he was incredibly upset. “You said Justin went to live with Gramma Taylor. You lied to me, Mommy. Why did you lie to me?” 

“Molly, why don’t you go play with your friends,” Jennifer suggested, wiping at the corner of her eyes with her thumb. 

Molly glared up at her mother. “I’m not going away, Mommy. Tell me why you made Justin go away? Don’t you love him anymore?” 

“What’s going on out here?” 

The curtain had just gone up on the floor show. 

Craig Taylor had appeared in the backyard. 

Which had Justin in an instant panic, pressing his body as close to Brian’s as humanly possible. Brian hugged him tightly, reassuring him with his presence, letting him know that he wasn’t going anywhere. 

“Daddy, why did you make Justin go away?” Molly demanded, glaring up at her father. 

Craig tried to distract Molly the same way his wife had: “Go play with your friends, Molly.” With the exact same result. Molly stayed right where she was, standing up to a man who was at least three times her size. Brian had to admire the kid, she had a lot of guts. 

Just like her big brother. 

“Look, Dad, why don’t you just do what you’ve been doing for the past eight months and pretend that I don’t exist,” Justin said in a completely level voice, not the slightest hint of fear. “I just came here to see, Molly. She’s still my sister.” 

“No, she’s not,” Craig growled, his eyes blazing. “You are nothing to this family, Justin. So I want you and that fucking perv you’ve brought with you to get the hell out of my yard!” 

“Whether you like it or not, Justin is still your son,” Brian said calmly, keeping his voice calm and even. “He and Molly are always going to be siblings. You can’t change blood.” 

The words only angered Craig more, who advanced half a step towards them, his muscles tensing as though he were about to strike Justin. “His blood is infected and I don’t want him exposing my daughter to it.” 

“Daddy!” Molly sobbed, pounding her small fists against her father’s hip. “It’s Justin! Don’t say mean things to Justin!” 

“Get in the house, Molly!” Craig shouted at the young girl, his angry glare never once wavering from the two men standing in front of him. “Jennifer, get the girls inside, call their parents. The party’s over.” 

“Daddy, no!” Molly wailed, turning her tear-filled eyes on her brother. “I want to stay with Justin! I love him!” 

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Craig insisted, carefully shoving Molly behind him and out of sight. “Now go inside.” 

“Moll, do what he tells you,” Justin said quietly and Brian could tell that his resolve was breaking. “I’ll see you some other time.” 

“Justin....” Molly sniffled, poking her head around Craig’s hip so that she could see him. 

“Happy birthday, Mollusk.” 

Before Craig could stop her, Molly bolted around him and towards Justin. Brian let go of him in time for Justin to reach down and scoop Molly up into her arms, much to his father’s disgust. To keep Craig from interfering, Brian stood half in front of him, silently daring the other man to interfere with his children. 

For all his loud talk, Craig stayed where he was. He was silent as well, though Brian could only imagine the vile thoughts running through his mind. As long as he didn’t voice those thoughts where Justin or Molly could hear them, Brian could have cared less about what he thought. Craig Taylor was a homophobic asshole who didn’t deserve his children’s love. 

“I’ll see you later, Molly,” Justin said quietly as he set the little girl back onto the ground. 

“Bye, Justin,” Molly whimpered. She took off into the house then, leaving only Brian, Justin and Craig in the backyard. 

“I don’t want you to come here ever again,” Craig said sternly, his jaw clenched. “You are not a part of this family and you are not welcome. Neither is this child molester.” 

“Don’t--” 

“Let’s go, Justin,” Brian hissed, cutting him off. “It’s not worth it. He’s not worth it.” 

“Hope you have a nice life,” Justin grumbled, slipping back easily into Brian’s arms. 

Brian brushed a kiss against Justin’s temple, his eyes never leaving the older man’s face. He kept Craig in his sights the entire time as they made their way back over to the fence and out of the backyard. There was no way he was going to trust the other man, not for one instant. Brian was going to keep Justin safe, especially from his father who was almost as big an asshole as his own father. 

As they crossed the front lawn towards the jeep, the front flew open and a blonde blur stormed out, catching both of their attention. 

Molly appeared before them, her small face tearstreaked and clutching at a rumpled old teddy bear. “I saved Gus for you, Justin. I hid him in my room when Daddy started getting rid of all your stuff.” 

Justin’s hand shook slightly as he reached out to take the bear from his sister. “Thank you, Moll. How about, every Wednesday after school we meet at the park. I’ll even bring my friend Sally so that you can see her rainbow hair.” 

Molly nodded her head emphatically, hugging herself. “Promise you’ll be there?” 

“I’ll be there,” Justin whispered, leaning over to give Molly a hug. “I love you, Molly.” 

“I love you too, Justin.” 

When the two separated, Brian automatically slipped an arm back around Justin’s waist, pulling the smaller man against him. He grinned down at Molly who was busy wiping away her tears. “It was nice to meet you, Molly.” 

“Thank you for being nice to my brother,” she told him then turned and bolted back into the house. Molly paused momentarily at the door, glancing back at the two of them before disappearing inside. 

“Let’s get out of here,” Brian said quietly as he guided Justin towards the jeep. 

“Yeah,” Justin mumbled, not looking back once.


	3. Glimmering Sunshine

It wasn’t until the two of them got out of the jeep and Brian slipped an arm around his shoulders that Justin realized he was trembling. He leaned into Brian’s side as they crossed the street to the building that stood on the corner of Tremont, taking comfort from his lover’s presence. Justin had foolishly believed that he would be able to withstand a meeting with his father. That he would be fine. 

Only he wasn’t. 

Far from it, actually. 

Before, in the back of his mind, Justin had always held onto the belief that his father didn’t really hate him. That maybe, with a little bit of distance, they could even reach some sort of truce. It was stupid, the rational part of his mind was well aware of that fact, only it was one that he couldn’t quite put entirely out of his mind. However, after eight months and everything that had happened with Damian hadn’t changed his father’s mind, Justin knew that nothing would. 

“Lindsay’s bringing Gus by tonight. Maybe you can introduce Sonnyboy to his fuzzy counterpart,” Brian suggested as he punched in the code to get into the building’s lobby. 

“I still can’t believe that Molly saved him from the executioner,” Justin mumbled, idly shifting the straps of his backpack which held the old teddy bear. “She used to hate the thing when she was little. She used to leave him under the back tire of my dad’s car so that he’d run it over when he’d leave for work in the morning. I’d have to hide him on the top shelf of my closet just to make sure he wouldn’t end up in the garbage disposal.” 

That earned him a smirk from Brian and a kiss against his temple. “Your sister is definitely a character. Loyal as hell too. She also has your strength. I was surprised she didn’t kick your dad in the balls.” 

Justin waited for Brian to lift the elevator gate before entering the structure. “I’m not strong, Brian. I’m just some worthless twink. I should just leave. Disappear once and for all. It would be better if I was gone.” 

“Woah! Woah! Woah!” Brian cried, grabbing hold of the teen’s shoulders, forcing him around. “How can you leaving be a good thing? It’s not, Justin. You’re a part of this family and we all love you. None of us want you gone.” 

“Michael does,” Justin protested weakly, his gaze unwillingly finding its way to Brian’s. “He’s your best friend. And as angry as you are with him right now, you still love him. If I’m gone, the two of you can make up and be friends again. Like you were before I showed up.” 

“That’s fucked, Justin. The reason I’m not talking to Michael is because I realized that I didn’t really know him. Not if he was capable of doing what he did to you,” Brian said emphatically, pulling Justin’s unresisting body against his own. 

Justin would have protested further, but the elevator reached the sixth floor and came to a shuddering stop. Thrown slightly away from Brian by the sudden stop, Justin pulled himself away from him and lifted the gate, freeing them from the elevator. 

With only one foot out of the box, Justin came to a complete stop, his body freezing. 

“Oh, it’s you,” Michael sneered. “Where’s Brian?” 

The man in question appeared at Justin’s side then, slipping an around about his waist. “What the fuck are you doing here, Michael? You have no business here so get the hell out,” Brian growled, holding Justin securely against his side. 

“It’s been almost two weeks, Brian. I would like to have my best friend back,” Michael whined, stepping slightly closer to the pair. 

“You don’t fucking get it, do you?” Brian snarled, taking a half step in front of Justin, protecting him from Michael. “Don’t you even realize what you did?” 

Michael rolled his eyes irritably. “I don’t see what the big deal is. It’s not like Justin got hurt or anything. He’s fine. His hair’s black, but a lot of teenagers dye their hair. Look at Sally. She has a new hair colour every week.” 

“Can you please move, Michael. I’d like to go inside,” Justin mumbled, lifting his head to meet the other man’s gaze. 

“Running away again, Sunshine?” the other man taunted, making no move to step away from the door. “Leaving Brian to fight your battles for you?” 

“Michael, would you please move,” Justin pleaded, knowing that he wasn’t going to be able to keep his calm exterior in place much longer. 

“Move, Michael,” Brian ordered, his fingers playing with the skin of Justin’s waist just above the top of his jeans. “You have no business here. Neither of us wants anything to do with you.” 

“But I’m your best friend,” Michael protested, pouting in Brian’s direction. “We should be able to work this out. You’re ruining fifteen years of friendship over some twink you’re infatuated with at the moment.” 

At that comment, Brian’s entire body tensed. Justin could feel the anger practically rolling off of him. For someone who supposedly knew Brian as well as he claimed, Michael really didn’t know him all that well. Every comment that he made was only going to make Brian even more furious. Justin could see that which meant that Michael should have been able to as well without any effort. Yet Michael kept pushing all his buttons as though he were purposely trying to keep Brian angry. 

“Because we’ve been friends for so long, I’m going to let you get away with saying that once,” Brian ground out, no discernible emotion present in his voice. “But as of this moment, you don’t exist to us. I don’t want to see you or hear your voice ever again. You are nothing to me so get the fuck out of here.” 

“Why can’t you see that he’s playing you?” Michael insisted, stepping closer to Brian so that he was forced to stand completely in front of Justin. “This is all a game to him. He’s using you, Brian. When are you going to open your eyes and see that he’s not what you think?” 

“Like you?” Brian demanded and Justin could perfectly envision his eyebrow arching. 

Brian reached behind him and grabbed hold of Justin’s hand, guiding the teen towards the loft door. Justin followed after Brian willingly, eager to get into the loft and away from Michael. Up until that night in the diner, Justin had never actually been afraid of Michael. The look on his face, as Damian had forced him from the diner, had changed all that. Never before had Justin seen such hatred directed at him. Michael had wanted Damian to take him, to hurt him. 

“I’m not done talking to you!” Michael shouted, grabbing hold of Brian’s arm and wrenching him away from Justin. 

Anger fueling his actions, Michael yanked Brian all the way across the small hallway which ran from the elevator to the loft’s door. When his arm was released, Brian was standing precariously close to the stairs, off balance and only seconds from tumbling down heals over head. 

“Brian!” Justin screamed when he saw his lover’s upper body tilting backwards. He started to rush forward, but Michael came and stepped in the middle, halting his progress. 

“Butt out, Sunshine,” Michael sneered as he glared at the teen. 

Despite the tension he felt creeping up his spine, Justin moved forward towards the two men. “Michael, he’s going to fall. Help him.” 

Justin let out a loud breath when he saw Brian take a half step forward, putting him on solid ground. Michael saw this and whirled around so that he was facing Brian, his supposed best friend. Not knowing what Michael had planned, but aware that he was capable of more than Justin would have once given him credit for, the blonde stepped forward and latched onto his arm, attempting to hold him in place so that Brian could get further away from the steps. However, that same adrenaline rush that allowed him to launch Brian several feet across the hallway, gave him the ability to shrug off Justin with barely any effort. 

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” Brian cried, outraged as he stalked towards his friend. 

“You should probably be asking yourself that question,” Michael spat out, shoving his way past Brian and stomping down the stairs at a rapid pace. 

As far as Justin was concerned, the other man couldn’t go away fast enough. He stared after Michael’s retreating form even after he had turned the corner to the next flight of stairs. 

“He just wants to talk to you,” Justin said in the deafening silence that followed. “You’re best friends. You owe it to yourself to try and work past this.” 

Even more shocked than Brian by his words was Justin himself. Because he knew that they were true. Brian had Michael had been through too much together and their lives were so completely intertwined that they needed to find a way to at least be on speaking terms once again. Since he was the main factor working against their friendship, it was up to him to help them make up. 

The easiest way to do that was to take himself out of the equation. 

Brian reached up to cup the side of his face. “As long as Michael keeps pulling stunts like this I have no intentions of having a conversation with him. Besides, I don’t see you following your own advice.” 

“That’s because I’m not the same person I was when I was friends with Daphne,” Justin told him, pulling away so that Brian could unlock the door. “Things change. I changed.” 

“You seem fine to me,” Brian grinned down at him as he heaved the along its runners so that they could enter the loft. 

“Just about anyone seems fine compared to you,” Justin shot back, his somber mood leaving him as he stepped over the threshold. “A shrink would have a field day with the two of us.” 

Brian tossed his keys down onto the small table that housed his phone and answering machine. “Unfortunately for them, they’ll never get a chance to pick our brains if I have anything to say about it.” 

“Amen to that,” Justin echoed as he slipped his backpack off his shoulders. 

For the past two weeks, ad nauseum, Debbie had been making it known that she thought he should talk to someone about what had happened with Damian. What she couldn’t seem to understand was that Justin didn’t want to talk with anyone. He wanted to move on and leave what had happened where it belonged. In the past. It was a part of the reason he needed to have Brian and Michael make peace. He wanted everything to be as it had been before Damian’s reappearance. 

“You wouldn’t be brooding, by any chance?” Brian asked as he wrapped his arms around Justin’s torso, pulling the artist back against his chest. 

Justin snorted, dropping his head back against Brian’s shoulder. “That’s your specialty. I’m just thinking.” 

“That’s highly overrated at a time like this,” Brian murmured against his shoulder. “What say you and I head off for a quick shower before Lindsay and Sonnyboy get here. We both smell like Britney Spears.” 

“How can you smell like Britney Spears?” Justin laughed, tilting his head so that he could see Brian’s face. “It’s not like we actually saw her. All we heard was my sister’s CD and you’re just using this as an excuse to get me in the shower, aren’t you?” 

“Smart little twink,” Brian whispered as he leaned down to capture Justin’s lips with his own. “Now you go hop in the shower while I set the alarm and order us some dinner. You up for Thai?” 

Placing a quick kiss on the underside of Brian’s jaw, Justin slid out of his lover’s arms. “As long as you get me some chicken fried rice.” 

It wasn’t until Justin reached the bedroom and was pulling off the black wifebeater that he realized how much better he felt. The confrontations with his father and Michael had been awful, but they were over. He had managed through both of them thanks to Brian. The ad exec would probably never admit to it, but Justin knew that it was because of him that he had managed through both encounters without freaking out. Brian was the only reason that he felt strong lately. Or even calm and centered. If it hadn’t been for Brian, Justin probably wouldn’t have left the loft in the past two weeks. 

Not that he would have known about the loft to begin with. 

The last two months of his life wouldn’t have existed if not for Brian. Brian was the reason that he was safe and not trapped with Damian. Turning, Justin gazed back towards the main part of the loft where Brian was pacing back and forth, cordless phone held up to his ear as he ordered their dinner. 

There was no way he would ever be able to thank Brian enough for what he had done for him. But he could do something else. 

Justin could give Brian back his life and his best friend. It was the best-- and the only --way that he could properly repay Brian for everything that he had done. It was what he should have done that morning in the hotel room. If he had gone then, Brian and Michael would have probably already made peace. He was the one preventing it from happening. 

By the time he set foot in the bathroom, Justin was completely naked. He stood in front of the mirror, gazing at his reflection and taking in all of the changes that had taken place since that first night. And even though all of the bruises were gone, it was the same person looking back at him that had been then. The same broken little twink who didn’t have a chance in hell of getting free of Damian’s shadow. 

And since he wasn’t about to bringing Brian down with him, Justin knew he had to leave before it was too late. 

“You know, if you keep this up, I’m going to be forced to do something drastic,” Brian said, appearing in the doorway of the bathroom. 

Justin glanced over at Brian, a ghost of a smile playing across his lips. “That so? And just what is this drastic thing you have planned?” 

“And ruin the surprise?” Brian drawled as he padded towards Justin, reaching out to run his fingertips up the curve of Justin’s spine. “No, I think I’ll keep you in suspense. I guarantee you’ll enjoy it, though.” 

Grinning slightly, Justin allowed Brian to guide him over to the shower. He wanted to have one final memory of being with Brian to take with him. So that he would always have a piece of Brian with him. Always feel Brian inside of him. 

“You want to tell me what’s bothering you?” Brian asked as he ran a bar of soap over Justin’s chest. 

“I’m fine,” Justin answered, a little too quickly. 

Brian gave him a pointed look, draping his forearms across the artist’s shoulders. “Do you want to try that again? Maybe give a more believable answer?” When Justin didn’t give an immediate response, Brian dropped his forehead against the teen’s. “I can’t help if I don’t know what’s bothering you.” 

“You don’t need to worry about me, Brian,” Justin murmured, blinking the droplets of water our of his eyes. “I just need a few minutes to get myself centered again and I’ll be fine. Honest.” 

Shifting his body still closer to Justin’s, pressing a kiss to the corner of the blonde’s mouth. “Anything I can do to help?” His next kiss was to the underside of Justin’s jaw. Then the corner of it. Finally he caught Justin’s earlobe between his teeth and mumbled, “I want you nice and mellow when my Sonnyboy shows up.” 

“And just how do you propose that I get nice and mellow?” Justin whispered in Brian’s ear. 

“I think I may have an idea or two,” Brian promised as he slid his hands around from Justin’s hips to grip his ass. 

Justin reached up and slid his arms around Brian’s neck, wanting to get as close as possible. He wanted to imprint every sensation and every image into his mind before he left. It was a memory that would have to last him a very long time. 

For the rest of his life. 

“I love you,” Justin moaned into Brian’s mouth. 

Brian pulled his face back slightly, a panting grin on his face. Water was beading down his skin, his hair plastered to his head. “Love you too, Sunshine.”


	4. Glimmering Sunshine

The constant knocking pulled Brian unwillingly from sleep. Groaning loudly, he rolled out of bed, pausing only long enough to slip into a pair of sweats before trudging towards the door. Brian noticed bags of take-out sitting on the counter as he passed the kitchen which meant that it was Lindsay and Gus who were at the door. 

“Justin, Lindz and Sonnyboy are here,” Brian called over his shoulder as he deactivated the alarm. “Justin!” 

Finally getting the door open, Brian stepped aside so that Lindsay could enter the loft. The reason as to why she didn’t open the door herself when he saw how much she was carrying her in arms. 

Ignoring the bags, Brian went right for the infant. “Give me my kid.... Justin, will you get your ass out of bed!” 

“Oh leave him alone,” Lindsay giggled as she set several bags down on the kitchen counter next to the take-out ones. “How’s he been doing, anyway?” 

Brian glanced up from Gus’ sleeping face, a wry smile on his lips. “He was fine until he saw his father and Michael this afternoon. I should have known better than to let him go back to that place.” 

“He went home?” Lindsay gasped, her eyes wide as she stalked towards him. 

“It was his sister’s birthday and he wanted to go see her,” Brian explained as he handed Gus back over to Lindsay so that he could snake his fingers into his hair. He allowed his gaze to travel towards the bedroom. The glass panels were closed so he could only see a small corner of the mattress. “I shouldn’t have made him go. I could tell that he didn’t really want to go in case his father was there, but I talked him into it.” 

“Justin wouldn’t have gone if he didn’t really want to,” Lindsay protested. “He just needed a little prodding on your part. And I’ll bet that he was happy to see his sister. Unlike the two of us, Justin actually likes his sister.” 

“That’s ‘cause she’s still young enough to not be like Claire or Lynette,” Brian called over his shoulder as he made his way to the bedroom. “Quit hiding, Justin. It’s just Lindsay and Gus. Time to get....” 

His voice died in his throat as he stepped up into the bedroom and saw, for the first time, that the bed was empty. A quick scan revealed that the bathroom is also empty. With nowhere else to hide, it meant that Justin was no longer in the loft. 

“Lindz, there’s not a note on the counter or fridge is there?” Brian asked as he made a beeline towards the loft door where he remembered seeing Justin drop his backpack. As soon as he steps within sight of the door, he curses quietly. “Shit.” 

The bag isn’t there. 

The stuffed bear is sitting on the computer desk, though. 

“Stupid little twink,” Brian moaned, snaking his fingers into his hair. “What the hell was he thinking. No, that’s right, he wasn’t thinking. Fuck!” 

“Brian, what’s wrong?” Lindsay demanded as she quickly made her way over to where Brian was pacing back and forth. “Where’s Justin?” 

Brian snorted mirthlessly, craning his neck back and staring up at the ceiling. “Fuck if I know. Justin’s not thinking straight, that much I know. The little twat is convinced that I’d be happier if he was gone.” 

“Where on earth would he get an idea like that?” 

His only response was to give her a withered look. Lindsay should have known the answer to that question before she even asked it. Everyone was well aware of Michael’s animosity towards Justin which had reached its peak the afternoon Damian had taken the teen. Since that day, Brian had refused to even hear Michael’s name mentioned and would leave any place he was. 

“You really don’t think Michael would do anything to him, do you?” Lindsay asked instead, nervously rocking Gus back and forth. 

With only a fraction of a hesitation, Brian shook his head. “No. Justin did this on his own. Of course, it didn’t help much that Michael was here when Justin and I got back this afternoon. He really freaked Justin out, but I didn’t think he’d actually leave.... Lindz, I need you to stay here in case Justin comes back,” Brian ordered, pulling himself together in that instant. He bolted back into the bedroom and changed into the jeans and sleeveless tee he had been wearing earlier that day. 

“Where are you going?” Lindsay shouted after him. 

Brian was still stomping into his boots as he descended the stairs, leather jacket tucked against his side. “I’m going to the bus station. If Justin’s trying to get out of town that’s the cheapest way for him to do it. I need you to call Deb-- she should be at the diner. Have her put her scouts out down on Liberty to see if anyone has seen Justin in the past...,” Brian glanced at the clock on the microwave, “two hours. Call Sally, too. See if she’s heard from Justin. Get Emmett and Ted looking for him. Mel. Fucking everyone. And call me the second you hear anything.” 

Then Brian was charging down the stairwell, throwing on his jacket as he went. He didn’t have the time or the patience to wait for the elevator. Justin had probably been gone for the past two hours and not only did Brian not know where he was, he had no clue where the kid was going either. 

Brian cursed himself for not taking Justin’s talk of leaving more seriously. At the time he hadn’t thought that he needed to. That Justin was just reacted to what had happened with his father and Michael and that as soon as he got some rest and calmed down that he would be fine. That they could go on with their lives and try to get back to the point they had been at before Damian had appeared on their doorstep. 

About halfway to the bus station it started to rain. Not a light, trickling shower, but an almost torrential downpour that seemed to come out of nowhere. To make matters worse it seemed, to Brian anyway, that he was hitting every imaginable red light on the way. It was almost as though some higher power was attempting to keep him away long enough for Justin to make his escape. Only, for the life of him, Brian couldn’t figure out why. 

“Fuck higher powers,” Brian grumbled as he approached yet another stop light. “Fuck this rain and fuck red lights!” 

To Brian’s utter amazement, the light changed to green just as he got closer and he slammed his foot on the accelerator. He had to get to the bus station as fast as possible before Justin disappeared from his life for good. 

Contrary to what Justin had managed to convince himself, Brian didn’t want the teen out of his life. He wanted Justin around as long as possible because somewhere along the line he had fallen for the twink and he wasn’t about to give him up. Brian wasn’t a religious man, not by a longshot. He didn’t put any stock in fate or karma or kismet, but even he had to acknowledge that both Justin and Gus showing up in his life within hours of each other had to mean something. If he tracked the moments of their arrivals precisely, he wouldn’t have been surprised to find that the two arrived within moments of each other even though he hadn’t found out about Gus until a little later. 

Two blocks away from the bus station traffic stopped once again. Unfortunately it wasn’t due to a stop light or any other traffic signals. As a result of the pounding rain there had been a car accident which was blocking all lanes leading to and from the bus station. Pulling the jeep over to the first empty area of sidewalk, Brian scrambled out and began sprinting towards the bus station. 

Between his quick speed and the massive puddles that covered most of the sidewalk, Brian was constantly sliding around and stumbling. Under normal circumstances Brian would never do something that had him looking like such a fool, but he didn’t care. Justin could very well disappear to parts unknown if he didn’t get to the bus station. 

“Hey, watch where you’re going!” an umbrella bearing pedestrian shouted as Brian shoved him aside on his mad dash down the street. 

“Fuck you!” Brian cried without slowing down and promptly went crashing onto his ass as he lost his footing on the slick cement. 

“Serves you right, asshole!” 

Brian scrambled to his feet and continued on to the bus station. Countless buses had probably come and gone in the time he had been asleep, but there was a chance that Justin was still there. It was a slight chance, a gamble really, but a chance that Brian was counting on nonetheless. After all the shit he and Justin had been through in the past few weeks they deserved a break. 

Once again, Brian nearly ended up on his ass as he burst into the bus terminal. The wet floor and his drenched and destroyed Pradas didn’t mix very well but he managed to hold onto the door long enough to regain his balance. 

“Justin!” he screamed as he staggered deeper into the building, mindful of the slick floors. 

His only response were some strange looks from other travelers. 

“JUSTIN! Where the fuck are you?! Justin!” 

Still not able to see the blonde anywhere, Brian rushed over to the ticket counter. Before he even got there he was fishing through his pocket for his wallet where he had a picture of him and Justin that Sally had taken a month before for her photography class. A picture of the teen would be far better than him trying to describe Justin. Even the picture itself didn’t do his lover’s beauty justice. 

“Have you seen this kid?” Brian demanded, holding the picture up for the desk clerk to see. He tapped his index finger next to Justin’s face on the paper to emphasize his point. “He would have been here in the last two hours. With a ratty old backpack.” 

The woman took one look at the photograph and nodded her head, a sad smile on her face. “He bought a ticket to New York about an hour ago. Poor kid looked really shook up.” 

It was all Brian could do to keep his knees from buckling under him. “Thank god. Where’s the bus at? Where is he?” 

“I’m sorry, but he’s gone,” she said quietly, unable to meet Brian’s eyes. “The bus pulled out about five minutes ago.” 

Brian had to grip the counter to keep from sliding down. 

Five minutes. 

The higher powers were really working against him. Between the stop lights, the rain and the car accident he had missed Justin by five-- fucking --minutes. Knowing that he was going to New York didn’t help any. It would be impossible to find him in New York. Without even trying Justin would be able to disappear completely from sight. From the world. 

A world which was slowly beginning to close in on Brian. 

“Sir, are you all right?” the woman asked, placing a hand on Brian’s clenched fist. 

Brian nodded shortly. “Yeah. Fine. Thanks for your help.” 

“I’m sorry I couldn’t do more,” she offered, her voice suddenly grating against his nerves. 

Then Brian staggered away from the counter and back towards the exit. He had to get out of there. The atmosphere was suddenly closing in on him and there were too many people crowding around and jostling him. Brian stumbled blindly through the throng of people, his gaze focused down on his wallet as he carefully slid the picture back in to its proper place. He didn’t even realize he’d reached the doors until the pushbar slammed into his middle, momentarily knocking the breath out of him. 

After casting one last look back at bus terminal, Brian left the building and stepped back out into the downpour which had yet to let up. 

And trudged aimlessly in the direction of the jeep. At least he assumed that he was going back to where he had left the jeep. Brian couldn’t be sure where he was going. He was just moving. 

“B... Brian.... Bri....” 

At the sound of the voice, barely audible over the sound of the pounding rain, Brian came to a stop. He stood stock still, his gaze still trained in the direction his feet were pointed, desperately trying to convince himself that he wasn’t having a hallucination. 

“Brian....” 

The voice was stronger this time, but choked with tears. 

But at least it was Justin’s. 

Justin’s voice. 

“I’m sorry, Bri. So fucking sorry,” Justin moaned. “I thought it would be better if I left, but I couldn’t even get on the fucking bus. I just.... I couldn’t. I couldn’t go.... I should but I can’t....” 

Sinking the fingers of his right hand into his hair, Brian slowly rotated one hundred and eighty degrees. He continued to stare down at the puddled sidewalk beneath his feet, not sure whether he should look up or not. 

“Brian, please....” 

Very slowly he began to lift his head. 

Scuffed up sneakers were the first thing he saw. 

Then jeans stained darker by the rain. 

The worn orange jersey he had been wearing that first night. 

Pale column of his throat. 

Strong jaw. 

Trembling, pouty lips. 

Nose. 

Cheekbones. 

Eyes. 

Dark blue, closely guarded eyes. 

Eyes filled with tears and fear. 

And pain. 

“You scared the shit out of me,” Brian said at last, dropping his hand down to his side. “What the fuck were you thinking?” 

Justin sniffled, wrapping his arms tight across his chest. “That you would be better off without me.... That you could... that you could get your life back.” 

“I have a life. One that I’m quite fond of,” Brian told him as he took a half step towards the teen. “You should know that seeing as how you’re a part of it.” 

“But all I do is fuck everything up,” Justin whimpered, hugging himself still tighter, as though he would disappear into himself. 

“So?” 

Justin didn’t have an answer for that. He dropped his gaze to the ground, his shoulders shaking visibly. His shirt was plastered to his upper body from the rain, a small tear in the right shoulder revealing a patch of pale skin. Brian kept his eyes on that small area of skin as he closed the distance between him and Justin. 

“You don’t fuck everything up,” Brian murmured in his ear as he wrapped his arms around Justin’s trembling shoulders. “You don’t have control over everything that happens. Sometimes you just get caught in the middle. Like you are now. What’s happening isn’t your fault. It’s just happening.” 

“No it is my fault,” Justin insisted, shaking his head against Brian’s shoulder. 

Taking Justin’s face in his hands, Brian squatted down so that he could met the teen’s eyes. “It’s not your fault, Justin. None of it is.” 

Justin pulled his bottom lip between his teeth. 

“So let’s go home. Get out of the rain. Get dry. Then we’ll talk about this. Okay?” 

The movement was almost imperceptible, but Brian saw him nod. 

“Good,” Brian breathed out, leaning in to brush a light kiss against Justin’s upper lip. “Pull a stunt like this again and I’ll have your balls in a sling.” 

As he had hoped, that comment got a brief smile out of Justin along with a quiet laugh. 

It wasn’t until he stood up straight again and pulled Justin against him for a quick hug that Brian realized it had stopped raining. He stared up at the sky for a minute and when he looked down, Justin’s face was upturned as well. 

“Time to go home,” Brian announced, kissing Justin’s still trembling red lips. 

“Home,” Justin agreed, his breath warm against Brian’s chilled skin.


	5. Glimmering Sunshine

As he had done since he climbed into the jeep, Justin sat staring out the window, still trembling slightly both from cold and nerves. He was still partially in shock, not fully comprehending what he had almost done. He had almost went away. 

Justin hadn’t completely realized what he was doing until he was stepping on the bus. Then it had hit him all at once. That he was leaving his friends, his new family, his sister, his life.... 

And Brian. 

Each time that he would try to step onto the bus, he would see Brian’s face in front of his and he couldn’t do it. Justin couldn’t take the chance that he would never see Brian again. He knew that he should leave, that it was the right thing to do, but he just couldn’t leave Brian. 

“Call off the search dogs, Lindz, I’ve got him. Yeah, he’s fine. A little on the soaked side, but so am I..... It’s raining, Lindsay what do you expect? And make sure I don’t have a loft full of people waiting when we get back. ... I know, I know. If Gus ever pulls a stunt like this I’ll be the one to call Deb, okay? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Bye, Lindz.... Bye.” 

Brian ended his call to the loft and placed the cell phone down on the console that separated their seats. Unsure of Brian’s exact mood, Justin watched his actions by way of the reflections in the passenger side window. From the way Brian was gripping the steering wheel, Justin could tell that he was incredibly tense. It was all his fault too. 

“I’m sorry, Brian,” Justin mumbled, risking a glance over in Brian’s direction. 

The only indication Brian gave that he heard what Justin had said was a slight release in his hold on the steering wheel. It wasn’t much, but it meant a great deal to Justin. It meant that Brian didn’t completely hate him. 

“You might want to get your sketch books out of your bag before they’re completely ruined,” Brian suggested as he came to a stop at a red light. The words were the first Brian had spoken in roughly ten minutes. 

“I don’t have them with me,” Justin told him, turning back to Brian as he spoke. 

That seemed to catch Brian completely off guard. He swiveled his head around, staring at Justin with undisguised shock. “Why didn’t you bring your sketchbooks? I would have thought they would be the first thing you packed.” 

“I wanted you to have them,” Justin whispered, dropping his eyes to his lap. “I can easily redraw all my favourites from memory. They’ll always be in my head.... Pictures of you. Sleeping. I don’t need sketches to remember.” 

The light changed back to green and the jeep started to move forward once again. Without Brian responding. Justin scratched a hand through his wet hair, trying not let Brian’s silence bother him as much as it was. 

“You know I’m not angry with you?” Brian asked as they neared Tremont. 

One corner of Justin’s lips curved upwards slightly and he nodded his head. “I know. But I’m still sorry for doing what I did. Making you worry....” 

Brian waited until he pulled into his usual spot across the street from the building before speaking again. Unfastening his seatbelt, he turned towards the teen, his hand returning to his thigh. “You have nothing to be sorry for, Justin. After everything that’s happened to you, I’m surprised that you haven’t tried to disappear before this.” 

“I almost did that morning in the hotel,” Justin admitted, absently scratching the bridge of his nose with his index finger. “I wanted to. I knew that I should.... But I couldn’t. I knelt next to you, watching you sleep. You looked so peaceful. I told you that I loved you-- to say goodbye... then you said you loved me.” 

The relief on Brian’s face was clearly visible and Justin felt a pang of regret for being the one to make him hurt. He sniffed, and would have pulled away except that Brian pulled him into a hug, kissing the side of his head. 

“I want you to remember that,” Brian murmured in his ear. “Whenever you feel the need to disappear, just remember that I love you and I don’t want you to go. Promise.” 

Justin nodded his head against Brian’s shoulders, his fingers scrabbling to clutch onto the damp leather jacket. “I promise. Just make sure I don’t forget.” 

“You won’t,” Brian sighed, giving Justin a quick squeeze. 

Pulling back, Justin reached behind him for the handle, never taking his eyes off of Brian. Now that he had decided not to go, he was terrified that Brian would disappear in front of his very eyes. Considering he was the one who had almost left, Justin knew that he was being ridiculous. If either one of them should be having such fears, it should be Brian. He was the one who was almost left behind. But Justin was still scared. Because if he couldn’t leave Brian, how would he be able to withstand it if Brian was ever the one to leave? 

Exiting the jeep quickly, Justin crossed over to where Brian stood waiting for him and pressed himself up against the taller man’s side. Even the minute or so he’d been apart from Brian as they climbed out of the jeep was too much. And yet he had been willing to walk away from Brian permanently. Or at least attempt to. 

Thinking about it after it was over, Justin was pretty sure that he had known on some level that he wouldn’t be able to actually leave Pittsburgh. It was his home and he wasn’t going to let his father or Michael chase him away from his home and his life. Of course, it was easy to think like that and be brave when Brian was standing right there next to him. Take Brian out of the equation and Justin knew that he wouldn’t be as strong. If he wasn’t still with Damian he’d probably be selling his body and living hand to mouth. 

Five minutes later they were stepping out of the elevator and towards the loft, a place Justin had never thought to see again. There had been a little voice in his head the entire time he had been taking the bus across town that he wouldn’t really be able to leave. Now that he was back at the loft, that little voice was pointing out its victory to the one that had called for his disappearance. Justin smiled slightly, imagining the happy dance the little voice was doing inside his head. 

“What’s so funny?” Brian asked, nudging the side of his head with his chin. 

“Little voices doing happy dances,” Justin giggled, feeling his mood beginning to lighten. 

Brian snorted at the comment. “Voices doing happy dances?” 

“Mmmhmmm,” Justin nodded, stepping into the loft after Brian opened the door. 

While Brian went about locking the door and setting the alarm, Justin let his eyes scan over the interior of the loft It was all exactly the same, yet somehow completely different. Justin knew that nothing had moved, not even Gus, but it still seemed so very different. It was as new to him then as it had been that very first night. 

Letting his backpack drop to the floor, Justin walked over to where he’d left the ancient bear and the stack of sketchbooks it sat upon. Originally, Justin had thought of leaving a note for Brian, but had been unable to think of anything to put in one. There was no way he could explain to Brian, on paper anyway, why he was leaving. So he’d left Gus and the sketchbooks as a way of saying goodbye. The drawings would say far more than he ever could. 

“We should probably go hop in the shower,” Brian suggested as he came up behind Justin, wrapping his arms around the teen’s waist. “Don’t want to end up with hypothermia.” 

“I don’t think it’s cold enough for hypothermia,” Justin said quietly as he leaned back against Brian’s chest. 

Brian dipped his head down into the curve of Justin’s shoulder, his lips brushing just behind his ear. “It never hurts to be careful. We should probably just play it safe and make each other nice and warm.” 

“Why do I have a feeling there’s an ulterior motive?” Justin mused, tilting his head the other way so that Brian had better access to the side of his throat. 

“No ulterior motive,” Brian assured him. “Okay, so maybe I want to make sure you’re completely aware of just how much I love you and that I really don’t want you to go anywhere. But it’s hardly a devious ulterior motive.” 

Relaxing against Brian’s taller form, Justin allowed his hands to drop to his sides, his fingertips lightly brushing over Brian’s damp jeans. Meanwhile Brian’s hands had found their way under the front of Justin’s shirt, his palms pressed flat against the blonde’s stomach. Soon the hands began to move upwards, pulling the old orange jersey up with them. As Brian lifted his hands still further, Justin raised his hands so that it could be pulled away. Brian held the tee out in Justin’s line of sight for several long seconds, making sure that he noticed it. 

“You don’t need this anymore, Justin,” Brian stated as he dropped the shirt to the ground. “You’re not that person anymore. You’re a hell of a lot stronger now than you were that night. Hard as that is to believe since you were already so strong. So we’re going to toss this shirt and all that baggage that came with it down the garbage shoot. It won’t bother us anymore.” 

“Just like that?” Justin mumbled, staring down at the rumpled jersey. “It’s really that easy?” 

“If you want it to be,” Brian confirmed, walking around Justin and blocking his view of the shirt. “Damian’s gone from the picture and Mikey doesn’t matter. That just leaves the two of us. So if we both decide to move past it then it’s gone.” 

“I want it to be gone,” Justin announced, straightening his shoulders and staring up into Brian’s eyes. 

The smile that appeared on Brian’s face at the comment was one full of relief. The dark-haired man took a step forward and draped his arms over Justin’s shoulders, pulling him close. Justin closed the distance between them, shivering slightly as his bare chest came into contact with Brian’s wet shirt, but wrapped his arms around Brian’s waist so that they were standing flush together. 

Wanting to feel more of Brian’s skin against his own, Justin leaned back far enough so that he could slip his hands under the front of his shirt. As soon as his fingertips brushed over the taut muscles of Brian’s stomach, he felt the taller man take in a quick breath and shudder slightly. 

“Your hands are cold,” Brian gasped as he nonetheless arched into the blonde’s touch. With some help from Justin, Brian shed his shirt before pulling the teen back against him. “Shower or bed?” he mumbled against Justin’s lips, moving his fingers up and down Justin’s back as though attempting to coax some heat back into his skin. 

“Bed,” Justin responded, knowing that he wouldn’t be able to keep to his feet for much longer. 

Even though it was still relatively early, Justin felt utterly exhausted by everything that had happened in such a short amount of time. It felt as though it should be nearly midnight when, in reality, it was barely even seven. It had all happened in less than four hours. His father, Michael, trying once again to disappear. All of that in less time than it would have taken him to work a shift at the diner. 

Justin was caught completely off guard when Brian scooped him up into his arms, carrying him the way a groom carries his bride over the threshold. At first, Justin started to protest, but in the end all he did was wrap his arms around Brian’s neck and lay his head on the strong shoulder. It felt nice to be cared for. To be loved. 

And when Brian tenderly set him down on top of the dark blue duvet, Justin knew what it was like to feel cherished. 

Instead of pouncing on him and attacking his body out of a desperate need to reassure himself that Justin really was still there, Brian surprised Justin by slowly removing his wet sneakers and socks. Then he unbuttoned the fly of Justin’s jeans and gently eased them, and his underwear, over his hips and off. They were tossed somewhere near the bathroom, but he didn’t really pay attention to where the soaked clothing landed because his gaze was focused on Brian’s hands. He watched the long, slender fingers especially as they slowly, methodically worked the fly of his own jeans. Before he even had the material over his hips, Justin could tell that Brian was half hard. Jeans and jock joined the pile near the bathroom and Justin’s suspicions were confirmed. 

Yet still, Brian didn’t do what Justin would have expected of him. What he would have done were he the one who was nearly left behind. 

Silently indicating for Justin to move himself closer to the middle of the bed, Brian set his knees on the space vacant by Justin’s legs. He waited for the teen to get settled before inching his way forward and placing his hands down on either side of Justin’s head. 

And laid down. 

Blanketing the smaller body with his own. 

Brian covered his slight body as completely as he could, but kept his head and shoulders raised so as not to put his whole weight on the younger man. Justin spread his legs just enough so that Brian could rest comfortably between them, Brian’s stomach having lost some of its chill as it pressed down on Justin’s cock. 

The storm must have started up again because the natural light that had been filling the loft was gone, replaced by an eerie gloom. It made the blue lights which shone from the head of the bed seem all the more bright, creating a safe haven of sorts for the pair. 

Yet, even as his mind registered these changes, his eyes never once left Brian’s. He watched them as they watched him, desperately trying to discern the emotions they contained. Thrown of balance by everything that had happened, Justin wasn’t sure that he could believe what he saw readily available in the hazel depths. It was unlike anything he had ever experienced before. 

Whatever doubts he had once held over Brian’s feelings towards him were gone in an instant. There was only love. More love than Justin knew what to do with. 

So he did what he could do which was run a finger over Brian’s elegantly shaped brow, down along the side of his face and along the underside of his jaw before making a small detour towards his mouth. As his fingertip moved across Brian’s bottom lip, his tongue poked out to touch the pad of his index finger and draw it back into his mouth. Justin allowed his finger to be led away into the hollow cavern and brought his free hand up to cup the side of Brian’s face. He slipped his finger from Brian’s mouth as he guided Brian’s face towards his, eager for the taste of his lips. 

As he lowered his head, Brian shifted his hips slightly causing Justin to gasp. Using this to his advantage, Brian swooped down at captured Justin’s bottom lip between both of his. Their kiss seemed to go on forever, both of them content for the moment to focus all of their attentions in that one area. While Brian spent most of his energies on Justin’s bottom lip, the younger man made sure that his lover’s upper lip was treated with the same attention. Running his tongue over it, sucking it into his mouth, worshipping Brian’s mouth just as Brian was worshipping his. 

By the time they were finished, their lips were red and swollen. On Brian it seemed to complete a picture. Swollen lips, tousled hair, flushed cheeks, shining, heavy lidded eyes. There was no doubt in Justin’s mind that his features were reacting to their kiss in the exact same manner. 

So he shifted his hips, eager to bring both of them some relief. 

Rearing up onto his knees, Brian reached a hand out towards the side table where a bowl of condoms and a tube of lube were waiting. Brian went to unroll the condom on his erection, but Justin beat him to it, snatching the foil wrapper from his fingertips before he could open the package. Justin opened it with his teeth, gasping when he felt Brian eased a lubed finger into his hole. As Brian prepared him, it took every ounce of Justin’s concentration to ensure that the condom found its way to the end of Brian’s dick. 

Then it was on. 

At his unspoken signal, Brian tossed the lube aside and slipped his arms under Justin’s knees, forcing them back as he thrust into Justin’s slick hole. Both men were groaning as Brian used his whole body to thrust his cock in and out of the blonde’s asshole. Justin was bent nearly in half as Brian raised his ass off the mattress so that he could continue pounding into him while his tongue carried out the same motions in Justin’s mouth. Not to be left out of the action, one of Justin’s hands was clutching at Brian’s hip, trying to pull him in even closer than he already was while his other had latched onto the back of his neck. Justin used this hold to keep Brian’s mouth within reach of his own, coming up for air only when absolutely necessary. 

And then it was less than a second before they were once again attempting to devour the other’s lips. 

Were it up to Justin, he would have spent the rest of his existence like that. His whole body felt like it was on fire as Brian continued to thrust his cock in and out of in an irregular pattern that had Justin’s prostate constantly stimulated. When Brian shifted their positions slightly, it provided all the friction Justin’s cock had been after and, moment later, Justin felt himself coming. His muscles tensed and a loud cry went pouring from between his lips and directly into Brian’s mouth as his load shot between their heated stomachs. 

Brian was right behind him. His scream echoing through the empty loft as he tore his mouth away from Justin’s. 

Then, before his cock had even begun to soften, Brian was lying stretched out over Justin, cradling the teen in his arms. Justin sluggishly lifted his own arms from the mattress and wound them around Brian’s torso, his fingers sliding across the damp skin. 

Then he was asleep, a smile curving the corners of his lips.


	6. Glimmering Sunshine

“How long have you known me, Peterson?” 

Lindsay gave him a withered look as she dropped down onto the chair nearest him. “Ten of the longest years of my life.” 

“They haven’t been a picnic for me either,” Brian snorted, his eyes darting momentarily in her direction. “You’re a damn needy dyke.” 

“Mind telling me what this has to do with why you won’t go to the art show on Friday?” Lindsay asked him, doing her utmost not to laugh at his earlier comment. 

Brian glanced down at Gus who was sleeping peacefully on his chest then over at Lindsay. “How many art shows have I gone to with you in the last ten years?” 

“Every one that I’ve asked you to,” she answered without thinking. 

“Right. Now how many costume parties have I gone to?” Brian asked with an arched eyebrow. 

That question had Lindsay slumping back into the chair. “None..... But this is different, Brian. This is for Justin. It’s his first showing and it would mean so much to him if you were there.” 

“Look, Lindz, I’ve already talked to him and--” 

“Be serious, Brian,” Lindsay interrupted him. “Don’t try and bullshit me, you know Justin wants you there. Most of the pictures he’s showing are of you.” 

“I’m not going,” Brian said again, this time more emphatically. “There’s no fucking way I’m getting into some dopey costume. Justin knows that. You should have known that too when you and Mel agreed to the stupid idea.” 

“It’s not a stupid idea,” Lindsay defended herself. “The entire experience is about art. That includes the threatre, hence, the costumes. You really should come, Bri. It’ll mean everything to Justin.” 

A part of him knew that she was right, but there was no way Brian was going to a costume ball. There was no way he was going to dress up in anything besides his designer wardrobe to go look at some art. Not when all he had to do was open one of the many sketchbooks that lay scattered about the loft. A few of Justin’s sketches had ever been framed and placed on the walls. 

Gus, three days old, sleeping peacefully in his carrier. 

A pair of arms, both obviously belonging to different people, wound round each other so that the hands came to rest, palm to palm, fingers entwined. Around the wrist of the larger arm was a cowry shell bracelet. 

The lonely streetlight that stood just outside of Babylon. Steam from the nearby sewers creeping up around its base. 

A view of Pittsburgh’s skyline as seen from Dr. Damian Walker’s condo. 

Brian had balked at framing the last one, but, in the end, had given in to Justin’s desire to have it displayed. He didn’t want to have any reminders of Damian lying around the loft. On Sunday, the day after Justin had nearly left, they had thrown out the orange jersey and the jeans he had worn that first night. Sneakers, socks, underwear, everything that had originated from the doctor. Neither had made a big deal about it, simply tossing it all into a garbage bag then down the garbage chute. 

Later that afternoon, as Justin had been searching through his sketchbooks for pictures to submit for the show, Brian had suggested framing some to hang on the bare walls of the loft. The decision had been spur of the moment, but he knew it had been the right one when he’d seen the broad smile on Justin’s face. Not quite vain enough to put pictures of himself up, especially not naked ones, Brian had insisted that he not appear in any of the drawings. At least not in full. And while he didn’t doubt that everyone would know that the two clasped hands belonged to him and Justin, Brian was the one who picked out that sketch. Even in black and while, their hands were beautifully matched. 

The only time they had disagreed on a picture was when Justin had chosen the one he had drawn from the balcony of the doctor’s condo. Brian had been adamant about not putting the picture up, but somehow the teen had talked him into it. Brian wasn’t even completely sure how he had managed it, but the sketch had ended up framed with the others. On some level, Brian assumed, it acted as a reminder for the teen. The same was the bottle of his father’s favourite whiskey in his liquor cabinet acted as one for Brian. To make sure that he didn’t end up like his old man. For Justin, it was probably to remember that he got out. 

It was the main reason Brian had finally consented to hanging the picture. 

“Can’t you even make a quick appearance?” Lindsay pressed as she headed into the kitchen to get a bottle ready for Gus. “Come, see Justin’s paintings then go?” 

Brian glance down at Gus who was wide awake and staring at him with wide eyes that were finally showing signs of shifting to hazel as Justin had long predicted they would. “It’s the principle of the whole thing, Lindz. I don’t do dress up. You and Mel should have known that when you and the rest of your cronies started planing this whole shindig.” 

“But we started planning this back in the summer,” Lindsay shouted from back in the kitchen. “Before you met Justin.” 

“Too bad. Not going,” Brian reiterated for what felt like the millionth time that afternoon. “And don’t think you’re going to be able to guilt me into it. I’ve made up my mind.” 

By the time Lindsay reappeared in the living room, Brian had hoisted himself up slightly against the arm of the couch so that when he turned Gus over onto his back, the baby was inclined when Brian went to feed him. He kept his son stationary with his left hand, propping up the bottle with his right. Gus was not yet three months old and was already attempting to feed himself, his small hands making futile grabs for the bottle. The infant hadn’t completely grasped the concept of grasping things so his tiny hands slid off every time. 

“I can’t believe how big he’s getting,” Brian murmured, staring down at his son in awe. “Too bad all this growing doesn’t seem to include his hair.” 

Lindsay rolled her eyes, laughing quietly. “He’s not even eleven weeks old. Give him some time. I’m sure you were just as bald when you were a baby.” 

“That’s a very cruel thing to say, Peterson.” 

“Brian, Lindsay, we’re here!” Justin called as he and Melanie came through the front door. 

Despite the seemingly carefree tone of Justin’s voice, Brian could instantly tell that the teen was on edge. Even his smile attempted to belie his emotions. Brian knew better, though. He could see the panicked look in the young artist’s eyes that he was trying desperately to hide. 

“Hey, Sunshine,” Brian murmured as Justin made his way over to the couch where he was reclined. Keeping his upper body still so that Gus wouldn’t roll off, Brian lifted his left arm, slipping his hand behind his lover’s head and guiding it down towards his own. Their lips met in a soft kiss that lingered as Justin got himself sorted out. 

One of the mommies extracted Gus from Brian’s chest and the bottle from his hand. When Justin’s body continued to trembling, Brian pulled the teen down so that he lay stretched out on top of him. That seemed to do the trick. Almost as soon as he had his head tucked under Brian’s chin, Justin’s body began to relax and the tension began to bleed from him. 

“You should have let me go with you,” Brian whispered against the top of Justin’s temporarily dark head. 

Justin shook his head slightly, his right hand clutching at Brian’s upper arm. “I needed to do this on my own. Damian is my responsibility.” 

“This has to do with both of us, Justin,” Brian insisted, hugging the boy close. 

“Which is why you’ll be going in for your deposition next week, Bri,” Melanie spoke up. “Unless, of course, you want to take the stand if this thing goes to trial.” 

Melanie knew his answer to that question so Brian shot her a withered look. Neither Brian or Justin wanted to endure a trial so in the case Damian and his lawyers couldn’t be talked into a plea bargain, the two had opted to give written deposition of accounts rather than take the stand. Emotionally, the trial would be too much for Justin who would be forced to relieve the horror of the six months he had spent with the doctor and Brian wasn’t going to put him through that. Even if it did end up going to trial, that was still months away. Brian had insisted that they give their depositions as soon as possible so that Justin would be able to put it all behind him as soon as possible. He wanted him safe and away from Damian. Brian would have preferred to put an ocean between them, but it was long past the time when convicts were sent to Australia to serve out their sentences even if they had been living in England. 

So Brian had taken half a day off work, picked Justin up from school and taken him to the courthouse where they had met up with Melanie who accompanied Justin to talk to the D.A. Brian would much rather have gone in with his young lover himself, but he trusted Melanie to watch over him. At times, Brian was hard pressed to decide whether it was her or Deb who had the biggest balls in their mismatched family. Next to him, of course. 

“Feeling better?” Brian asked a few minutes later as Justin’s body relaxed almost completely into his. 

With only a slight hesitation, Justin nodded his head. “Yeah, I think so. It was just hard, you know.... Reliving all that.” 

“You did really well back there, baby,” Melanie praised, smiling at the two men lying on the couch. 

Brian wanted to protest, quite loudly, that there should have been no need for Justin to go through any of that. He stayed quiet, however, because Justin was calm and he wanted the teen to remain that way as long as possible. Things had been getting better since Sunday, but everything was still raw and had a habit of sneaking up on him when he wasn’t prepared. So instead of commenting, Brian pressed a kiss to Justin’s dyed hair and settled deeper into the couch. 

“I hope you two know that you’re staying for dinner,” Lindsay announced into the silence that followed. “And don’t even think about arguing with me, Brian Kinney, because it’s not going to work.” 

Justin’s snicker was muted against Brian’s chest, but he heard it nonetheless. So, apparently, did Melanie who had a smirk of her own. 

“Can you go to the jeep and get Gus’ present, Sunshine?” Brian asked, nudging Justin a little. Because of Saturday night’s melodrama, they hadn’t been able to give Gus’ the teddy bear Molly had rescued from death in the garbage dump. 

Justin lifted his head so that he could meet Brian’s eyes. “You mean you didn’t give it to him yet?” 

“It’s your present to give,” Brian told him as he ran his fingers through his lover’s black hair. It had only been four days since Sally had dyed it, but Brian was still having a hard time getting used to seeing Justin’s bright hair replaced by a light absorbing black. It would only be for three more days, though. Brian had already made an appointment with his stylist for Saturday morning to change Justin’s hair back to its original blonde. 

After placing a quick kiss on Brian’s lips, Justin slid to his feet and headed towards the front door. He paused once at the small foyer, glancing back towards Brian for a moment before continuing on outside. 

Knowing that he wouldn’t have much time before Justin returned, Brian sat up quickly and faced Melanie, his elbows resting on his knees, hands clasped together. “How was he really, Mel? Don’t try and bullshit me. I want the truth. Was he really all right?” 

Melanie sighed loudly and let her eyes travel down to Gus who had the pendant of her necklace clutched tightly in his little hands. Without the aid of any psychic, Brian could easily read her thoughts. They were undoubtedly the same as his own. Pleading to whoever would listen that Gus not have to go through what Justin did. At that point, Melanie probably knew nearly as much as Brian did about what happened during those six months prior to Justin moving in with him. 

“He wasn’t perfect, but he wasn’t a fall down mess either,” she finally told him, her gaze shifting from son to father. “Justin had to relive a lot of stuff today. Mostly the attack at the loft and when Damian took him. But there was other stuff.... Stuff that really freaked Justin out. He got through it, though. That’s what’s important.” 

At almost the exact same time Melanie finished speaking, Brian heard the front door open again, indicating Justin’s return. He immediately leaned back, resting his arms along the top of the couch and trying to appear casual all the while berating himself for not insisting that he be there at the courthouse with Justin. The artist shouldn’t have had to “get through” reliving horrible events from his past. 

“You know, a person might start to think that you’re ashamed of Gus. Hiding him under the backseat like that,” Justin chastised as he crossed the living room to plop down next to Brian on the couch. 

The look on the munchers’ faces were priceless. Their eyes nearly bugged out of their heads and their jaws simultaneously fell open. 

“You put our son under the backseat?” Lindsay gasped, placing a protective hand on the top of Gus’ head. 

“No, I hid Gus under the backseat,” Brian corrected her, reaching into the large paper bag Justin was holding and pulling out the bear. 

Justin took the toy from him, holding the ancient bear carefully. “See how you like it if I stick your favourite pair of Pradas under the backseat,” he threatened good naturedly. He then smiled over at the two women, holding Gus up for them to see. “This is Gus. My grandma Taylor got him for me when I was born. I figured it had been thrown out when my dad got rid of all my stuff, but Molly saved him for me. And since I’m too old for a teddy bear, I thought that Gus could have him. It’s better than the leather wearing one Brian’s been eyeing.” 

“Oh, Justin, that’s so sweet,” Lindsay gushed, taking the stuffed animal from Justin’s outstretched hand. “Look, sweetheart, Justin gave you a teddy bear with your name. And this is a very special teddy bear. It means that you’re going to grow up big and strong just like him.” 

“But with his father’s fashion sense,” Brian added, pulling Justin back against him. He could tell right away that the boy was extremely flustered by Lindsay’s praise and wanted to give him a few moments to collect himself. 

As he had expected, that comment got the two mommies started in on Brian’s extreme fashion sense and how there was no way their son was going to be a label queen. For the most part, Justin was silent as he sat huddled against Brian’s side. Brian wasn’t worried about his silence, though. Justin was simply relaxing. Winding down after what had to have been a very tense and nerve wracking afternoon. 

By the time they returned to the loft, after having put Gus to sleep for the night, Justin was back to his usual hyperactive ways. Perhaps a little too hyperactive. Brian couldn’t even coax him into sitting still in order to watch Velvet Goldmine, a movie he had been obsessing over since the two of them had caught the tail end of it one night flipping through the channels. Ewan McGreggor in skin tight leather pants would be a draw for anyone. 

“You ready to tell me what has you so worked up?” Brian asked as he stopped the movie just after Curt Wild’s first performance. “What happened with the D.A?” 

For a moment, Justin seemed about to answer, but ended up shaking his head. “It was nothing, Brian. It’s over anyway. Now turn the movie back on.” 

“I don’t think so,” Brian smirked, shaking his head. He bolted to his feet as Justin scrambled across the couch towards him. 

Laughing, Justin reached a hand towards Brian. “Give me the remote.” 

Brian’s response was to shove it down the front of his pants. 

“Oh please! Like I have a problem going there to get it back,” Justin said with a roll of his eyes. 

“Maybe I want you to get it back.” 

In the blink of an eye, Justin vaulted off the couch and had his arms and legs wrapped around Brian’s upper body. While Brian did his best to keep to his feet, Justin had his right hand snaking between their bodies in search of the remote control. Since he needed to use his hands to support Justin, Brian began sucking on the teen’s exposed collarbone, putting an end to his search for the remote. 

“This has got to be considered cheating,” Justin moaned as Brian lowered him onto his back on the couch. “You’re using an unfair advantage.” 

“Seems very fair to me,” Brian murmured against his neck, leaning his lower body into Justin’s. The remote was getting in the way so Brian quickly pulled it out of his jeans and dropping it on the floor next to him. 

Brian moved in to kiss Justin, finding the side of his head rather than his lips. Not put off, Brian began to kiss his way down his throat, only to be cut off by Brian Slade’s haunting voice. He paused momentarily before slowly turning his head towards the television where the movie had started up again. 

“Umm, weren’t we about to do something?” Brian asked, staring down at Justin whose gaze was locked on the music video within the movie. 

Without looking away, Justin placed a hand over Brian’s lips. “Shhh. Movie.” 

Groaning loudly, Brian dropped his head down onto the teen’s shoulder.


	7. Glimmering Sunshine

It was well after midnight, but Justin was unable to sleep. Each time he would shut his eyes, his mind would conjure up images that would be better forgotten. Ones that he wanted forgotten or, better yet, to be erased from existence. 

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” Damian roared as he yanked the loose-leaf pieces of paper from Justin’s grasp. 

Justin continued to stare down at the hard cover book he had been using as a flat surface to draw on. “I was drawing,” he mumbled quietly, nervously twirling the pencil in his fingers. 

There was the sound of tearing paper and Justin lifted his head in time to see the doctor ripping up his sketches. They were hardly works of art, having been done on lined paper, but Justin had been proud of them. The drawings were some of the best he had done in a while. Almost like his old works. The ones he had done before his life had been turned upside down. 

“I thought I’d warned you about this, Justin,” Damian growled, livid by that point. His hand shot out, agile fingers grasping Justin’s forearm with enough force to leave bruises. 

To avoid further injury to his arm, Justin slid relatively easily from the ledge he had been perched on, allowing himself to be dragged back into the condo. He tripped on the small ledge at the door leading into the condo, tumbling to his knees even as Damian continued to drag him forward, nearly wrenching his shoulder from its socket. 

“I told you, Justin. I told you that I didn’t want to catch you wasting paper with those chicken scratches of yours...” 

“No no NO!!” Justin screamed as he shot into a seated position and nearly ended up crashing forward onto his chest. 

Arms wrapped around him, holding him tight, and Justin began to panic. He cried out in fear, attempting to squirm away from the other body. Sleep made his movements sluggish and the tears blurring his vision didn’t help any. 

“Relax, Justin, it’s just me,” Brian murmured in his ear, his voice a little thick as a result of being woken from a deep sleep. “I’ve got you.” 

Sobbing loudly, Justin sagged against Brian’s chest. He turned slightly, just enough to be able to wrap an arm around Brian’s neck and pull himself even closer to him. Justin wanted to disappear inside of Brian where it was safe. If he disappeared he might just be able to escape the memories. 

“I want it to be over,” Justin moaned against Brian’s throat. “Make it stop... please....” 

Brian mumbled nonsense in his ear as he slowly eased Justin down onto his back. When he started to pull away, Justin cried out and scrambled to catch hold of the taller man before he got too far. 

“I’m just going to get you some water,” Brian explained, smoothing Justin’s sweaty hair away from his face. 

Justin let out a shuddering breath and shook his head. “No. Don’t go. Stay here. Please. I just.... Don’t leave me.” 

Then Brian was blanketing his body with his own. Holding him close. Holding him safe. And finally Justin felt his heartbeat begin to slow. The horrible memories were once again be relegated back to the far corners of his mind and hopefully, this time, gone for good. 

“Feeling any better?” Brian murmured against his forehead, his right hand running up and down Justin’s side. 

After a few more steady breaths, Justin nodded his head. “Yeah. I think... I think so.” 

Brian nodded his head and continued to hold Justin’s still-trembling body against his own. “You gonna tell me what that was all about?” 

“Things that should be forgotten,” Justin mumbled into Brian’s shoulder. “Things I want to forget....” 

“I think it’s time you learned your lesson,” Damian stated, his voice a low growl as he savagely tied Justin to the large cross-like structure in the center of the room. “Re-learned the rules.” 

“Nooooo....” Justin moaned, pressing his body even closer to the structure that he so hated. 

The doctor laughed viciously, molding his body against the teen’s naked back. “You don’t think he’s going to come for you, do you?” 

“Justin!” Brian shouted, startling the boy out of his memories. 

Crying out, Justin wound his arms around Brian’s neck, pressing himself infinitely closer to the taller man. 

“Shhh.... I’ve got you, Sonnyboy. I’m right here,” Brian whispered in his ear, pressing a series of light kisses against the side of his head. “He’s not here. You’re safe. Okay? This is your home and nothing can hurt you here.” 

Justin desperately wanted to believe him. Until that afternoon he would have believed him without a second thought. But his meeting with the D.A. had brought it all back and then some. Even things that he had managed to forget for a time came flooding back, the fear just as real as it had been when the events occurred. Not wanting to upset Brian, Justin had made Melanie swear not to mention how freaked out he’d gotten during the meeting. He’d had a full blown panic attack, reliving what had happened the afternoon Damian had taken him among other things. 

“You sure you don’t want that glass of water?” Brian asked quietly, his breath warm against Justin’s skin. 

Not trusting his voice, Justin nodded his head, holding on to Brian’s hips to make sure he didn’t go anywhere. 

Brian’s lips brushed lightly over his cheeks, kissing away tears that Justin hadn’t even been aware of shedding. Whimpering slightly, Justin turned into Brian’s touch, his body relaxing under the lean body above him. 

“You should try and get some rest,” Brian whispered in his ear before shifting his head over to meet the teary blue gaze. “I’ll be here.” 

“Thank you,” Justin mumbled, dipping his head back into the pillow. 

There was a slight smile curving Brian’s lips as he leaned down to kiss Justin once again. “You don’t have to thank me. I’m not doing anything special.” 

Justin gave him a tight-lipped smile, shaking his head in a negative motion. “Yeah. You are. More than you know.” 

“I’m glad,” Brian murmured, moving, despite Justin’s protests, off the teen’s body. He gently rolled Justin onto his side and curled up behind him, spooning him against his chest. Justin relaxed as soon as he felt Brian’s arms around him, a light kiss pressed against his shoulder. 

This time when sleep came, the memories stayed away. Wrapped safe in Brian’s arms, Damian couldn’t touch him. He was safe with Brian. More than he was in the loft itself. Because Damian had breached the loft, the evidence of which he still bore on his left forearm. Brian had come, though, and prevented Damian from doing more. 

Justin awoke to the feel of kisses being pressed against his arm and shoulder. Soft, gentle kisses that felt like little more than whispers brushing over his skin. Moaning slightly, Justin rolled onto his back, smiling slightly up at Brian who reached out to push his bangs away from his face. 

“It’s time to wake up, Sonnyboy, or else we’re going to be late,” Brian yawned, turning his head into his own shoulder. 

Justin lifted a hand to smooth down Brian’s wild hair, moaning quietly. “Morning already?” 

“Afraid so,” Brian confirmed, leaning down for a kiss. Morning breath being what it was, the kiss was a very quick one. “Come on, if we hurry we’ll have time to wash each other’s backs.” 

His smile grew slightly as Brian shot to his feet in the middle of the bed, reaching a hand down towards the teen. Justin eagerly took hold of Brian’s hand, allowed himself to be pulled to his feet. They stood, swaying slightly in the middle of the bed, arms around each other’s waists. 

“Feeling better?” Brian asked, dipping his head down so that he could gaze into Justin’s eyes. 

Justin was surprised to find himself telling the truth when he said, “Yeah, I am. I feel a lot better now.” 

“Good, because you promised to meet your little sister this afternoon,” Brian reminded him, purposefully swaying a bit so that both of them nearly fell back onto the mattress. 

“I thought we were running late?” Justin laughed as he clutched tightly at Brian in an attempt to keep his balance. 

“You eager to get to school?” Brian teased with an arched eyebrow. 

“Oh shut up,” Justin groaned, shoving himself away from Brian and bouncing off the bed, towards the bathroom. 

Forty minutes later the jeep was pulling up in front of Grant High. It seemed like weeks since he had last seen the building even though he had been there yesterday. Justin was often amazed that he wasn’t behind in his classes considering how much time he had missed in the past month. 

“I have that dinner meeting tonight so I’ll see you when I manage to escape,” Brian said as he put the jeep into park. 

“Behave yourself,” Justin laughed, leaning over to kiss Brian goodbye. “Later.” 

“Later.” 

Justin slid out of the jeep and turned to watch Brian pull away with a peel of rubber. No matter where he was, Brian always seemed prone to creating memorable entrances and exits. 

“What’s got him flying out of here like a bat outta hell?” Sally demanded, appearing suddenly at Justin’s side. 

“He needs a reason?” Justin laughed as he grinned over at her. Shifting his backpack on his shoulders, Justin turned and headed towards the building. 

Sally bounced along beside him, a one litre bottle of Coke in her left hand. “Good point, Sid. Before I forget, we have a history text next Wednesday. It got announced yesterday. But someone was playing hookie for half a day and missed it....” 

“I’m not going to tell you where I was yesterday,” Justin told her, stealing the pop from her and taking a large gulp of it. 

“Oh come on,” Sally pouted as she stole her pop back. “Did Brian steal you away for an afternoon fuck-fest or something?” 

Justin gave her a pointed look. “We live together, Sal. He doesn’t need to steal me away for us to fuck.” 

“Variety?” Sally suggested with a shrug. 

“Oh go get laid,” Justin laughed, shoving her away. 

“Is that an order?” Sally giggled, slipping an arm through his as they made their way into the school looking every bit the devoted couple they were not. 

Most of the student population were convinced that Justin and Sally were leading some secret romance. A secret because neither would ever admit to it. They had been confronted by countless people and prodded by just as many to go public with their “relationship.” One of the loudest voices in that category was Sally’s ex from the summer and leading football jock, Billy Thomas. 

“Why are you pushing this so hard?” Justin laughed as he changed out of his gym clothes at the end of class. “Sally’s your ex. Shouldn’t you want her to be left pining away for you or something?” 

Billy chucked quietly in the midst of pulling on a black tee. “What Sally and I had was a political thing. She was going to be head cheerleader and I was getting ready to take over the football team. When Sally dropped the whole cheerleading thing, the relationship automatically ended.” 

“Isn’t that a little 1950’s?” Justin inquired, smirking at the other teen. 

“That’s cause this tradition started in the 1950’s,” Billy agreed with a nod. “Sally and I were supposed to be the next celebrity couple, but then Sally turned up on the first day of school with blue hair and announced that she wasn’t going to be on the cheerleading squad so I ended up with the new head cheerleader. We’re still friends and I want her happy which she obviously is with you.” 

“We’re just friends,” Justin reinstated for what felt like the thousandth time since the second week he’d been at Grant High. “Besides, I’m already in a relationship. Have been since before I started going here.” 

“So who is he?” 

Justin started visibly, staring over at Billy in undisguised shock. They were the only two left in the change room since they’d had to put away the equipment, but Justin was still startled by how blasé he was being about it. 

“Look, my older brother is gay so it’s not that big a deal to me,” Billy offered when it became obvious that Justin wasn’t going to say anything. 

“What makes you think I’m gay?” Justin asked, doing his utmost to keep his voice from trembling. 

This time it was Billy who looked a little out of sorts, a slight blush creeping into his cheeks. “I um... I was at Woody’s on Sunday. It was my brother’s birthday so I went to celebrate with Zach and his boyfriend. I saw you there playing pool with a couple of guys and you and this other guy looked really cozy.” 

“That’s Brian,” Justin confirmed, a slight grin playing on his lips. 

“And you and he are...?” Billy trailed off at the end, slamming his locker door shut and swinging his backpack onto his shoulders. 

Justin nodded his head. “Yeah. We are. Almost three months. Which is why Sally and I will never have the great romance everyone seems to think we will.” 

The two of them were just about out of the change room when Billy placed a hand on Justin’s arm, stopping him. 

“I’m not going to go around telling everyone,” the football player volunteered. 

“Thanks.” 

Then he added the comment which shocked Justin the most. “You’re really lucky, Justin. You’re in a relationship because you want to be, not because you have to be.” 

The whole conversation left Justin feeling a little out of sorts. It felt strange that someone else, another teenager, knew that he was gay besides Sally. Even more bizarre was the fact that Billy didn’t even seem to care that he was gay. Billy was the top jock in the school. The most admired and most envied male that walked the halls and while the rest of the student body probably would have had him crucified or turned him into a social pariah, Billy was envious of him. 

His little sister, however, was a little put out that Justin didn’t bring Brian along with him when he met her at the park near her home after school. Sally’s presence seemed to make up for his absence, much to Justin’s amusement. 

“How come you didn’t dye Justin’s hair rainbow colours?” Molly demanded of Sally as the two lounged on the merry-go-round, waiting for Justin to start spinning them. 

Sally smirked in Justin’s direction and kicked a little bit of sand at him. “‘Cause your brother was too scared to let me dye his hair rainbow colours. I practically had to tie him to a chair just to get his hair black. But that’s okay because we’re going to a costume party on Friday and he needs to have black hair for his costume.” 

“You’re going to a costume party?” Molly shrieked in delight. “Can I come? I can wear my fairy princess costume from Halloween!” 

As much as it pained him, Justin shook his head. “Sorry, Moll, but you know that Mom and Dad will never let you go. But I promise to take lots of pictures for you so that you can see what everyone looks like.” 

Of course, it was hardly the same as going to the party itself. 

“Mommy would let me go,” Molly protested, pouting for emphasis. 

“But Dad won’t,” Justin reminded her. 

To take her mind off her disappointment, Justin vaulted to his feet and grabbed hold of one of the merry-go-round’s rails and began to run in a circle. Within seconds he had both Molly and Sally laughing madly as he spun them round and round as fast as he could. 

“Faster!” Sally ordered, slowly rising to her feet in order to get the full effect of the spinning motion. “Come on, Justin, you can run faster than that!” 

With one last burst of energy, Justin managed to get the merry-go-round going faster. When he was winded and could run no more he released the rail and immediately collapsed on the grass, watching his sister and best friend enjoy the ride. 

“Come on, lazy butt, go again!” Molly called to him as the ride began to slow down. 

Justin groaned and draped an arm over his eyes. “Give me a minute to catch my breath, Mollusk.” 

“Justin....” she continued to whine. 

“Yeah, Justin, come on,” Brian echoed, dropping down next to Justin apparently out of nowhere. 

That had the artist sitting up in an instant. He turned to his right and gazed down at his lover, not quite sure if what he was seeing was real. When Brian poked his side, Justin knew that he was really there. 

“What are you doing here, Bri? I thought you had a meeting?” Justin asked, stretching back out next to Brian while the other two rode out the rest of the merry-go-round’s revolutions. 

Brian reached out and pulled Justin closer to him so that the smaller man was practically lying on top of him. “It got pushed back till seven so I thought I’d join you guys here at the park. Relax a little.” 

“Don’t relax too much, Brian, ‘cause you get to push us next!” 

Brian groaned and shot Sally an annoyed look. “What part of ‘relax’ don’t you understand, Smurf?” 

Sally grinned from ear to ear, a broad smile which rivaled Justin’s own. “The part that involves you getting to lay around in your Armani suit while Molly and me are stuck on a non-moving merry-go-round.” 

“Remind me again why I thought this was a good idea?”


	8. Glimmering Sunshine

“I have to give Sally credit. She definitely knew what she was doing when she picked out your costume,” Brian commented as he entered the loft Friday night. 

Justin grinned and slowly made his way down the bedroom steps, grinding his leather clad hips and running his hands over his bare chest. Around his slender throat was what looked like a bicycle chain fastened with a small padlock which acted as a choker of sorts and his eyes were outlined with kohl, making them stand out more than they would usually. The heavy black combat boots, spiked black hair and black painted nails completed the image of the tragic seventies rocker. 

“I feel like a freak,” Justin laughed as he came to a stop five feet in front of Brian. He ran his hand over the back of his neck and let out a loud groan. “Why do I let Sally talk me into things like this?” 

“Because you love me,” Sally singsonged from deep within the bathroom. 

“We tolerate you,” Brian amended, shouting his response towards the bathroom where the other teen was still hiding. He then turned his full attention to Justin, draping his arms across the artist’s shoulders. “You know, if I was any type of boyfriend I wouldn’t let you dance around half naked with all those hungry queers.” 

Justin smiled even wider, winding his arms around Brian’s waist and pulling himself closer. “Then maybe you should come to the party and make sure none of them ravage me.” 

“Nice try, Sunshine,” Brian smirked, bumping his forehead against the smaller man’s. “I’m not going to the costume ball, so you’ll just have to find yourself another prince to whisk you off your feet.” 

Even though Justin’s smile remained intact, his eyes were no longer quite so bright. And for that Brian was sorry. It was Justin’s night and he should have been happy no matter what. Brian would have been there in an instant, too, except he had his principles to maintain and an important campaign to fine tune. Or, if that didn’t work, he could come up with countless other excuses as to why he could not go to the GLC Art Extravaganza. 

“So, boys, how do I look?” Sally demanded as she appeared at the top of the bedroom steps. Courtesy of a ratty blonde wig and a second hand dress from the same era as the Sex Pistols themselves she made the perfect Nancy to Justin’s Sid. 

“What colour is your hair under that wig, Smurf?” Brian asked, pulling Justin against his chest as Sally sauntered towards them. 

Sally threw her hands up to her head, covering her hair. “You can’t tell it’s a wig, can you?” 

All Brian did was smirk in her direction. 

“Asshole!” Sally hissed, spinning around and stalking back into the bathroom. 

When the door slammed shut, Justin burst out laughing. “You do realize that now she’s going to kill you? At the very least maim you in some horrible way.” 

“Now what makes you think she’d do something like that?” Brian chuckled as he steered Justin towards the living room. 

Dropping down onto the sofa so that he sat with his back against one of the armrests, Brian pulled Justin down to straddle his lap. Justin was pale to begin with, but with all of his black attire his skin looked like alabaster. Still, even though the clothes, hair and his general appearance were that of a rocker, something was missing. One key element that would make his costume perfect. 

Heaving himself upwards, Brian caught the back of Justin’s head in his large palm and guided the teen’s face towards his own. Their lips met and Brian began the task of ravaging his punk rocker boyfriend. He made special care to suck on Justin’s lips, making them swell up. As Justin’s tongue slipped between his lips, Brian was assaulted by the taste of watermelon Blow Pop. Along with the faint aftertaste of what was probably a Pixie Stix. 

“Asshole! You can’t tell that it’s a wig!” Sally cried as she stormed down the steps. 

By that point both men were breathing heavily, their foreheads pressed flush together. From his current position, Brian was quite sure that he had achieved the desired effect. Then, when Justin sat back, Brian knew that he had been successful. The reddened, swollen lips added a well fucked aura to his appearance along with the slightly dilated pupils. 

“I’d suggest getting him to the party now before he longer looks like he’s got his brains fucked out,” Brian told Sally who was standing impatiently next to him. 

“If you came you could make sure that he looks well fucked the whole night,” the girl prompted, grinning down at him. 

Without even a moment’s consideration, Brian shook his head. “Sorry, but unlike you two brats, I have work to do. Important work that will mean a nice big bonus and a well deserved vacation for me and Sid here.” 

“We’re going on a vacation?” Justin asked, perking up instantly. “Where are we going?” 

“Upstate New York,” Brian informed the teen, earning him a wide grin and loud whoop of joy as Justin launched himself back into Brian’s arms. “Just the two of us for Thanksgiving weekend. No loudmouthed Smurfs to interrupt us.” 

“HEY!” Sally shouted, smacking Brian on the shoulder. 

Ignoring Sally completely, Justin continued to beam down at Brian from his position straddling his lap. “So what are we doing in New York? Where are we staying? Tell me, Bri! Please!” 

“What if I wanted it to be a surprise?” Brian asked, arching an eyebrow as he wound his arms around Justin’s waist. 

“You’d tell me anyway,” Justin said confidently. 

“That so?” 

Justin nodded his head, his smile never wavering. “You know it is. So please tell me. At least give me a hint.” 

“Meat packers and calamine lotion,” Brian said cryptically, enjoying Justin’s confusion. 

“That’s not a hint,” the artist protested with a mock glare. “It makes no sense.” 

Brian laughter only increased the intensity of Justin’s glare. “Hints aren’t supposed to make sense until you figure out what they mean.” 

“How about another hint,” Justin tried, grinding his lower body enticingly against Brian’s. 

Brian pretended to consider Justin’s request for half a minute before shaking his head. “I don’t think so. You’re going to have to make due with that.” 

“Sally, make him tell me,” the temporary punk rocker pleaded, turning his pout onto his costumed counterpart. 

“He’s your boyfriend,” Sally reminded her best friend which got Brian laughing while Justin flopped his upper body back so he was lying atop Brian’s stretched out legs. 

“Now scram, you two,” Brian ordered, nudging Justin with his knees. “And I expect lots of pictures of everyone to use against them in the future. Especially Ted and Emmett.” 

Groaning dramatically, Justin rolled off of Brian and the couch. The ad exec bounded to his feet immediately after him, his arms automatically finding their way around Justin’s waist and holding the teen against him. 

“Now don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” Brian said with a tongue in cheek smirk in Sally’s direction. 

After delivering one last lip-bruising kiss to his lover, Brian watched the two teen’s depart. As the door shut with a resounding slam, Brian knew that he should have been on the other side of it. He should have gone to the party. For Justin. It was too late, though. Brian had made his decision and nothing would get him to change it. Not even the enticing sight of Justin in leather pants and little else. 

But that would run contrary to his plans. Brian had things to do and not a single one entailed following Justin to the party. On the contrary he was waiting for a guest to show up. Two, but only one would be staying for any noticeable length of time. The only problem was that it was still another hour till Brian had arranged for them to come over. That left Brian with some time to fill up. 

So Brian threw on a pair of shorts and hopped on the treadmill. He was still trying to work off the ice cream the teen had forced on him Wednesday night as a reward for showing up at the park. A reward that would add unwanted inches to his waistline if he wasn’t careful. Brian cued up a fast paced CD on his sound system and turned up the volume before starting up the treadmill and beginning his workout. 

Of course, he didn’t have to work out too much because he and Justin had worked off quite a bit of the ice cream in the past few days. Justin like they did every day and just as many nights. It was a definite advantage of being with a teenager. Old as Justin might be for his age, he was still as sex-crazed as any other seventeen year old. Brian had absolutely no problem with it. He was actually quite fond of Justin’s sex drive which was surprisingly as high as his own. 

After about twenty minutes, the treadmill was abandoned in favour of a shower. Something which wasn’t quite as enjoyable without Justin there to wash his back. Or to make sure that he was thoroughly moisturized from head to toe. However, Brian had existed for twenty-nine years without Justin and managed just fine on his own. 

Brian was in the process of buttoning his jeans when the intercom began to buzz, announcing that his guests had arrived. Leaving his shirt on the bed for the time being, Brian jogged over to the door and hit the speaker button. 

“Yeah?” 

“Brian, we’re here.” 

“Come on up.” 

Hitting the release, Brian padded back towards the bedroom to put on his shirt before his guests came up to the loft. A tight, black silk button down that didn’t have sleeves. Combined with tight black jeans and his black work boots, Justin always claimed that he was the most fuckable creature on the planet when he wore that particular outfit. 

“Hello, Brian,” Jennifer Taylor said as Brian opened the door for her. 

“Mrs. Taylor,” Brian mumbled with a curt nod, standing aside to allow her to enter. 

Before she could step on foot into the loft, Molly zoomed in, gossamer wings bouncing with her movements. Brian watched her for a moment as she danced about in search of traces of her brother which, given Justin’s slightly messy tendencies, were all over the place. 

“Where’s Justin?” Molly demanded, whirling around in the middle of the loft, her nearly transparent silk ballet skirt twirling with the motion. “I thought he was coming with us.” 

The fairy princess looked quite indignant with her hands planted firmly on her slender hips. Molly was dressed in a light purple leotard and white tights. Her skirt was the exact same colour as the leotard and had a shimmering thread woven into it that flickered when it caught the light. Her skin had been smeared with a glittery substance that had also found its way into her hair so that she practically glowed when she smiled. 

“Justin’s already at the party,” Brian informed her, grinning at her pout which was an exact replica of his older brothers. “We’re going to surprise him.” 

Out of the corner of his eye, Brian saw Jennifer take a few steps into the loft, coming to stand beside him. “Now, Molly, I want you to listen to your brother and Brian. Do whatever they tell you.... Are you listening to me, Molly?” 

“I’m listening, Mommy,” Molly chirped, her back to them as she stood at the top of the steps peering into the bedroom. Unable to find a lightswitch to brighten the dark room, Molly turned her attention to the area where the TV was. 

Only half of his attention was on Jennifer as she went on to thank him for arranging to bring Molly to the art show. Even though she would not be attending herself, she wasted no time in letting Brian know just how grateful she was that he had arranged for Molly to go. Brian didn’t care what she had to say and he wouldn’t have had anything to do except that Molly was too young to arrange her schedule for herself. In actuality, it was Cynthia who had done the arranging, Thursday morning when Craig was at work. Apparently the unlikely candidate for Father of the Year had been told that his daughter was spending the night at her best friend’s house rather than with her brother and his lover. 

“I’ll be by tomorrow morning to pick you up, Molly,” Jennifer called out to her daughter who, by this time, had made her way over to Brian’s desk. “Be good.” 

Molly nodded her head absently. “I will, Mommy.” 

Not having anything to say to the woman who had caused Justin so much pain, Brian only waited until she was at the elevator before shutting the door. Then he turned around and nearly ended up stepping on Molly who was standing right behind him, a framed photograph in her hands. 

“Who’s the baby?” Molly asked, holding up a picture of Justin and Gus for Brian to see. 

Brian knelt down so that he was at her level and carefully took the picture from her small hands. A warm smile spread across Brian’s face as he stared down at the photo of his lover and his son that had been taken about a month before. Justin was sitting with his back against the armrest of the couch at Lindsay and Melanie’s with Gus resting against his raised legs. Justin had a huge smile on his face as the baby held tight to his left index finger. Gus’ other hand was reaching in the general direction of Justin’s nose, though his arms were nowhere near long enough to reach its goal. 

“That’s my son, Gus. He was born the same night I met your brother. Justin’s the one who picked his name,” Brian told her as he handed the picture back to Molly. 

“He named him after his teddy bear,” Molly said, flashing a wide smile at Brian. The light purplish eye shadow she was wearing made her eyes stand out the same way the kohl had done to Justin’s. “Does Justin still have his teddy bear?” 

Brian heaved himself back up to his full height and smiled down at the girl. “Actually, he gave it to Gus whom I’m told can’t get enough of his favourite teddy bear.” 

“So Gus doesn’t live here?” Molly pouted as she moved to put the picture back on the desk. 

“Sorry, kiddo, but Gus doesn’t live here. He lives with his mommies. You’ll get to see him tonight at the party,” Brian assured her, grabbing his keys off the counter and slipping his finger through the loop in the chain. “You ready to get going?” 

Molly was at the door before him, bouncing up and down which made her blonde curls fly every which way. “Let’s go. Let’s go. Let’s go.” 

Brian smirked at her exuberance and slid the heavy metal door open. He told Molly to go hit the button for the elevator then went about setting the alarm. When he joined Molly by the elevator after having locked the door, she was still bouncing around and shouting for the elevator to hurry up and get there. 

“You know, no matter how often your brother tries that it never works,” Brian informed her, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning against the wall. 

“Justin doesn’t have any magic powers like me,” Molly announced, turning her gaze onto Brian for less than a second before turning her attention back to the elevator. “I’m Princess Zahar of the Mediterranean and I can make anything happen.” 

The elevator arrived then and Brian leaned down slightly to lift the gate, grinning down at Molly. “Then do you think you can arrange it to make me young and beautiful forever?” 

Molly pursed her lips and skipped into the elevator. “I’ll think about it. Now let’s get going. We’re late.” 

“Whatever you say, Princess Zahar,” Brian grinned as he followed the girl into the elevator. “Let’s go surprise your brother.”


	9. Glimmering Sunshine

It was probably a good thing that Brian wasn’t at the party because he would have ended up killing the munchers when he saw what they had done to his son. Justin thought Gus looked absolutely adorable dressed up as a bumble bee, but his Dadda the label queen wouldn’t be as forgiving. 

“Will you stop moping and start looking more tortured,” Sally ordered as she appeared suddenly at his side. “You can survive a few hours without Johnny.” 

Justin snorted at the comment. “Even if he did end up coming there’s no way you would have gotten Brian to dress up as Johnny Rotten.” 

Sally shrugged her shoulders. “So I’m an optimist. Sue me.” 

“I believe, Miss Nancy, that the proper term is insane,” Natalie Woods drawled as she strolled towards them. 

“Love you too, Em,” Sally called after him, a sickeningly sweet smile on her face. “Now, come on, Mister Big Artiste, let’s go mingle.” 

With Sally there, Justin had no choice but to enjoy the party when he would have much rather been busy moping and missing his lover. Justin had known from the start that he wasn’t going to show up. Brian Kinney did not do costume parties and once Brian set his mind to something there was no changing it. So Justin hadn’t attempted to. He wasn’t going to make Brian do something he didn’t want to no matter how badly he would have liked to have Brian there. 

“This is a party, baby, you’re not supposed to sulk,” Dr. Melanie Marcus said, appearing at his side with a platter of shrimp balls. 

“I’m not sulking,” Justin protested as he popped a shrimp ball into his mouth. “I’m perfecting my starving artist routine.” 

It was no surprise that she saw right through his lie. “I just don’t want you to get your hopes up,” she told him. 

To which Justin only smiled and shoved another of the appetizers into his mouth. He knew that it was pointless to argue with Melanie. He had learned right from the beginning that she and Brian weren’t the other’s favourite person. And, for the most part, Justin ignored their constant bickering because each could give as well as he received. The only time Justin had ever interfered was the night, soon after Gus was born, that Melanie and Brian had matched wits over the whole life insurance issue. 

At some point Irina arrived, decked out in a costume similar to Xena: Warrior Princess, and Justin was freed from Sally’s running commentary and able to just wander among the various works of art. At least for the five minutes it took for Deb to track him down. 

“You know, if I couldn’t see just how much Brian loves you I’d tell you not to waste your time or your heart on that little shit,” Debbie said to him, coming to a stop with a swish of her skirts. Then, with an exaggerated sigh, she dropped her arms to her sides. “I’ve waited patiently all night, Sunshine, but a girl can only wait so long for a compliment.” 

Justin laughed at her narrowed look which earned him an arched eyebrow. “Lucy would be luck if she looked half as good as you Dezzi was thirty.” 

Even though Justin had always thought it was impossible to get Debbie flustered, he could see the blush creeping into her cheeks from his compliment. She patted his cheek lightly then turned and went off in search of her very own Ricky or a any other non-queer who would treat her like a queen. 

At some point during the next hour, every other member of his family made their way over to console him over Brian’s absence or praise his work. And each time they would make some excuse for the older man, Justin would grin and bear it, knowing that they all had his best interests at heart. All of them except for Michael anyway. While the others were all trying to make excuses for Brian, Michael made sure to let him know that the only reason Brian wasn’t there was because the ad exec didn’t give a shit about him. Words Justin ignored completely because he knew that Brian did actually care about him. What was more, Brian loved him and had told him as much countless times. 

“Brian still loves you, Michael,” Justin said quietly once Captain Astro had finished his rant. “You’re his best friend, but he just can’t figure out why you would hurt him so much.” 

“What do you know about it?” Michael sneered, the angry look not becoming his superhero persona. 

Justin smiled sadly and shrugged his shoulders. “I really don’t care what you think of me, Michael. You don’t even warrant a second thought where I’m concerned. All I care about is Brian. And the fact that this thing going on between us hurts him.” 

“Then why don’t you just disappear like you should have in the very beginning?” Michael demanded, crossing his arms over his padding enhanced chest. 

“Because Brian want me here,” Justin told him honestly and was unable to stop the slight smile that appeared on his face. “I tried to leave-- I really did --because I know that I’ve been nothing but trouble to him.... But he wants me here.” 

Michael rolled his eyes, giving Justin a disbelieving look. “You really expect me to believe that? Brian can have anyone he wants. Why would he chose a skinny little twink like you?” 

“That’s something you’ll have to ask Brian,” Justin shrugged, “because I honestly don’t know the answer But first you’ve got to get past all this jealous bullshit and talk to him like a rational human being.” 

Michael had no response to that. He shot one final glare in Justin’s direction then stalked off, oddly enough, towards the vagina sculptures. To Justin’s complete surprise, the other man met up with someone else. A moderate looking older man dressed up as Indiana Jones, complete with whip. 

“Kinky,” Justin mumbled to no one in particular. 

As he was about to turn around, Justin felt a familiar pair of arms wrap around his shoulders from behind. Then a chin came to rest against the corner of his shoulder and neck. It was a variation of the sneak attack Brian had adopted since Damian had perverted the original embrace. 

“Has hell frozen over already?” Justin teased, leaning back against the broad chest. 

“You’re not supposed to swear!” 

At the sound of his sister’s voice, Justin whirled around, his eyes immediately shifting down to her height. “Molly? What are you doing here?” 

The fairy princess bounced into his arms without any preamble, expecting him to catch her. “Brian called Mommy and made her let me come to the party. Mommy let me put on glitter make-up to go with my costume. What are you supposed to be? You don’t look like anything fun. Daddy thinks that I’m sleeping at Sara’s, but I’m really spending the night with you and Brian. Where are your pictures? Did you draw any of me?” 

Even though he was more than eight months out of practice, Justin caught every part of her ramble. He was too shocked to respond, though. Brian showing up was cause for a world disaster, but his mother allowing Molly to spend the night at the loft had to be the first sign of the apocalypse. 

“Sally!” 

Just as quickly as she had arrived, Molly was gone. Off to show her new best friend her costume. 

“I go through all the trouble getting your little guest here and I don’t even get a thank you kiss?” Brian demanded, once again winding his arms around the teen’s shoulders, pulling him close. 

This time so they were face to face, their foreheads pressed together. 

“How the fuck did you manage this?” Justin asked, completely ignoring Brian’s earlier request in favour of shock. 

“Not until I get a kiss,” Brian practically singsong. 

Capturing Brian’s face between his palms, Justin angled his head downwards so that their lips were more or less even. Then he lightly took Brian’s lower lip between his, sucking on it until he heard a familiar moan. Moments later it was his turn to moan when Brian sank his fingers into his hair and began to maul his lips, nearly swallowing his tongue. By the time he finally regained possession of his lips, Justin was panting. 

“That’ll do for now,” Brian murmured against his cheek, dropping a quick kiss before pulling back. “So let’s go see your works of art.” 

Rolling his eyes, Justin sucked in a deep breath and grabbed hold of Brian’s hand. Even though Brian had seen each and every one of the pictures as he had picked them out, there was something completely different about them being framed and on display. True, the pictures still looked exactly the same, but the effect was different. In the frames they were no longer just sketches. They became works of art, if Brian’s biased opinion could be believed. 

“You drew Telse,” Molly announced as Justin and Brian reached the area where the teen’s art was being displayed. 

Sally was standing behind her, swaying slightly to the music that was being played. “Who’s Telse?” 

“Telse was our puppy. She looked like a little Lassie but she died,” Molly said solemnly. Then she turned her gaze to the left slightly and her eyes got really wide. “I see Brian’s pee pee,” she gasped, pointing at one of the countless pictures Justin had drawn of the older man while he slept. “How come you drew Brian’s pee pee?” 

“Because your darling brother likes to taunt me,” Sally laughed, casting a mocking glare in Justin’s direction. 

Molly just looked up at the other girl in confusion and shook her head. “You people are weird,” the fairy princess announced with a roll of her eyes. 

“Brian’s the weird one,” Lindsay said as she joined the foursome in front of Justin’s drawings. 

“What the fuck did you do to my kid?” Brian demanded, completely ignoring her earlier comment as he made a grab for his son. “Torturing him like this. Hey, Sonnyboy. Sorry I let your mom dress you up. It’ll never happen again.” 

“Speaking of dress up, where’s your costume, Brian?” Sally piped up, glancing at him with an arched eyebrow. “Last time I checked this was a costume party.” 

Brian’s jaw dropped and his face took on a pained expression that Justin knew all to well and had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing at. “And here I thought you said I always looked like a GQ model. Some fan club president you are. I think I’m going to have to revoke your membership.” 

“What? No! You can’t do that! I’ve paid my dues and I still haven’t seen the goods,” Sally protested as she gazed longingly at the sketch that hung to her right. 

To the picture of a very naked Brian. 

“You saw them a week ago tomorrow,” Justin reminded her, a comment which earned him a smack upside the head. 

“Shush it, Taylor,” Sally hissed, swiping her hand horizontally in front of her throat. “I’m negotiating here.” 

“Not very well,” Brian snickered, attempting to discreetly remove Gus’ black attenaed beenie. 

Unfortunately for him, first Justin noticed the motion followed immediately by Nurse Lindsay who quickly gathered her son back into her arms before Brian could do any damage to the costume. Brian scowled in her direction and playfully made another grab for the beenie only to have his hand swatted away by the blonde. 

“Leave the beenie alone,” Lindsay ordered as she crouched down in front of Molly so that she could see the infant. “What do you think, my lady fairy? The beenie should stay, right?” 

As soon as Lindsay asked the question, Justin winced. Like Lindsay, their mom had had a penchant for putting her babies in hats which left him and Molly with a hatred for hats. Even when he was in grade school, Justin had always refused to wear tooks and headbands, letting his ears freeze just so that he wouldn’t be in another hat. 

So it was no surprise to him when Molly delicately snatched the black beenie from the top of Gus’ head. 

“It’s not nice to dress babies up in icky hats,” Molly announced as she handed the beenie to Brian, shocking him, Lindsay and Sally. 

Justin, on the other hand, couldn’t stop laughing. He was seventeen and he was just starting to get into the habit of voluntarily wearing hats for the first time in his life. That was still eight years away for Molly who was already dragging Sally off in another direction. 

“I really like your sister,” Brian laughed as he watched the fairy princess bounce away. 

While the two men were laughing, Lindsay rose to her full height and deftly snatched the small black hat out of Brian’s lax grip. “How many times did you say you’ve met her, Bri?” 

Brian leaned over and brushed a kiss against Gus’ cheek, grinning all the while. “Don’t worry, Sonnyboy, between me and your Aunt Molly we’ll keep you safe from your Momma’s tyrannical fashion sense.” 

Even though he knew that Brian probably didn’t mean it seriously, Justin was still floored by his sister’s title of aunt. It made his position in the infant’s life that much more real. At least in his mind. At the same time it also secured his place in Brian’s life and really made him feel as though he were a part of a family. 

When Lindsay went off in search of Melanie a few minutes later, Brian and Justin were alone; as alone as they could be in the middle of a crowd. 

Which was actually surprisingly solitary. 

“Next time it’s gonna be a big professional show,” Brian murmured as he pulled Justin back against his chest. “In that big fancy art museum uptown You’ll be a big hit and go off to New York and Paris and London and I’ll get to say that I knew you before you were famous.” 

Justin leaned his head back against Brian’s shoulder, a smile appearing on his face. “You are extremely biased. You do know that, right?” 

“You’ve seen my place. You know I only endorse good art,” Brian insisted, hugging him closer. 

It would have been easy for Justin to point out that some of his own work was now hanging in the loft, but kept quiet and allowed himself the compliment. And the dream of his very own show. It was a dream he had held close for a long time, pulling out when he felt despair creeping in. 

Another part of what Brian had said sunk into his mind then and Justin immediately spun around in Brian’s arms, peering up into his eyes. 

“You’ll still be there when I’m famous, right?” Justin asked hesitantly. 

Brian frowned slightly, snaking his fingers into the hair at the nape of Justin’s neck. “Is there some reason why I wouldn’t be?” 

Justin shrugged non-committally. “It’s just the way you said it....” 

Leaning his forehead against Justin’s, Brian held the artist’s gaze. “I have no intentions of going anywhere. You’re stuck with me from here on out.” 

“You won’t here me complaining,” Justin sighed against Brian’s waiting lips. “Except about the fact that you made me think you weren’t coming.”


	10. Glimmering Sunshine

Even though it mean unnecessarily bringing Jennifer Taylor into their lives, it was worth it. Justin was thrilled to see his sister and Brian was hard pressed to decide whether it was her presence or his own that Justin was more excited about at the art show. Brian was confident, though, that he was the one who would benefit most from Molly’s appearance at the party. 

Once the little girl went home, of course. 

Until then, unfortunately, Brian had to behave himself. Or, at the very least, he had to keep Justin quiet. Something which wasn’t always possible, but usually very enjoyable. 

“Have I men-mentioned just how... glad I am that you came?” Justin mumbled against Brian’s cheek as the older man thrust slowly in and out of him. 

Brian grinned against Justin’s shoulder, his tongue snaking out to lick at the damp skin. “I think you mentioned something about that.... But it never hurts to hear it again.” 

“I am very... VERY glad that you... came tonight even if... even if you didn’t dress up,” Justin told him, his voice trailing off towards the end, his body shuddering. 

“Not. You. Too,” Brian groaned, barely able to hold back the loud moan that threatened to follow immediately after. A few more quick thrusts and then his body stilled completely, shuddered, then relaxed overtop of Justin, the teen’s semen squished between their bellies. “Besides,” Brian mumbled once he found the breath. “I’ll have you know that I was wearing a costume.” 

“And what was that?” Justin gasped out, his fingers dancing lazily up and down Brian’s sides. 

“Brian Kinney; Liberty Avenue slut.” 

Not giving Justin the chance to respond, Brian got up to dispose of the condom and got a wet washcloth to clean Justin up. There were very few that knew of Brian’s personality outside of his role as Liberty Avenue’s top stud. Justin was one of an even smaller group that hadn’t seen him in top for. Whenever he and Justin went to Woody’s or Babylon, Brian didn’t trick. Justin’s sometimes flagging self-confidence didn’t need blows like that. So instead Brian only did his tricking the nights when Justin was either at the diner or at home working on stuff for school. Strangely enough, it didn’t bother Brian in the least. 

By all rights and according to Liberty lore, that unspoken arrangement should not have come about. However, the sight of Justin’s sleepy smile which greeted him as he exited the bathroom was a good enough excuse for him. For reasons that he could explain, Brian like being the reason Justin smiled after all the shit he’d been through. 

At the same time, he was ready to kill the kid when he was woken up at eight that morning to the sounds of loud laughter and cheery cartoon music. Groaning, Brian grabbed hold of Justin’s pillow and yanked it over his head in an attempt to block out the noise. An attempt which failed miserably. 

Giving up over the pretense of getting more sleep, Brian grudgingly rolled out of bed and slid on a pair of sweats. He would have preferred to wander the loft naked and almost ended up doing just that until he heard Molly asking Justin a question. 

“You know, Sunshine, one day I am going to teach you about the fine art of sleep in one Saturdays,” Brian grumbled as he flopped down on the couch behind the two siblings who were sprawled on the floor on a mound of blankets and pillows, discarded cereal bowls on either side of them. 

Justin turned his head just enough to meet Brian’s eyes, grin firmly in place. “It’s not my fault. Mollusk’s the one who woke up early.” 

“Thanks, Moll,” Brian yawned, his body sinking deeper into the couch. 

“You’re welcome,” she called back, her eyes never leaving the screen. 

Minutes later, Brian was ready to drift off to sleep once again when he felt Justin lie down on top of him, snuggling his head under Brian’s chin. 

“Thank you for doing this,” Justin mumbled sleepily as Brian’s arms came up to wrap around his torso. 

“You don’t have to keep thanking me,” Brian told him, settling down to go back to sleep on the couch. “Just don’t expect any family dinners in the soon to ever future.” 

That got a quiet laugh out of Justin. “Wouldn’t want to even if you offered.” 

The trio was still lounging around in front of the TV four hours later when Sally showed up for her and Justin’s Powerpuff/Scooby cartoon date. During that time, Brian had gotten up to take a piss and get himself a cup of coffee, but other than that none of them had left the living room area of the loft. Since Sally was his guest, Justin was the one who got nominated to answer the door when she started knocking. 

“Hey, Bitch,” Brian heard Justin yawn upon opening the door. 

And, automatically, Molly shouted, “No swearing, Duster!” 

“I really like your sister, Taylor,” Sally giggled, the sound of their footsteps heading towards the couch. “She should come around more often.” 

His eyes still closed, Brian knew for certain when they had made it back to the TV area because Justin stretched out over him once again. Brian automatically wound his arms around the artist’s waist, holding him close, shifting only slightly to get comfortable. Having spent the past four hours half asleep, their skin was still sleep warmed and both were comfortably warm with their bare chests pressed together, arms sliding over available skin as they found it. It would take a huge surge of will power on Brian’s part to get himself to the gym as he did every other Saturday. 

“How come I wasn’t invited to this sleepover?” Sally demanded of no one in particular. 

Brian was the one who chose to answer. “Because you’re too loud. Now shush.” 

As soon as the open theme of Scooby-Doo began, Brian extricated himself from underneath Justin and made his way towards the bathroom to grab a quick shower. He knew that he would feel half asleep until he had one and wanted to be fully conscious when Jennifer arrived to pick Molly up at one o’clock. After that, it was off the Brian’s stylist to get Justin’s hair dyed back to blonde before they split ways for the rest of the afternoon. Brian was going to the gym then had to stop in at the office for a few hours while Justin worked a shift at the diner. 

“Feel like company?” Justin asked, pulling open the door to the shower while Brian was soaking his hair. 

When Justin’s arms wrapped around his waist, Brian leaned back against the teen’s chest. “Aren’t you in the middle of a cartoon date?” 

Justin pressed a kiss between his shoulder blades. “Molly’s keeping her occupied so that I can escape for some alone time with you.” 

“Someone’s definitely horny this morning,” Brian chuckled, shifting his hips back slightly when he felt Justin’s erection pressing against him. 

“Not morning now,” Justin protested as he slid in front of Brian, leaving a trail of kisses in his wake. “It’s afternoon. But I’m still horny. Think you can remedy that?” 

Brian grabbed hold of Justin’s ass, Brian pulled the teen tight against him. “There’s no chance of Sally coming in to get a peek of my dick, is there?” he deadpanned, his serious expression never wavering. 

“I’m sure we’ll have the glass nice and fogged. She won’t see a thing,” Justin assured him, unable to keep a straight face. 

“Well, if you’re sure,” Brian grinned, leaning down to capture Justin’s lips with his own. 

Due to time constraints it was only a quick fuck and suck to tide them over until the afternoon was over and they met up again around dinner. Then they would properly celebrate Justin’s success at the art show. So far there were two confirmed sales, but Brian was confident that there had been more. Even if it was only the two that sold, Brian planned on enjoying Justin’s success. 

And all the others to come. 

“Sally tried to sneak into the bathroom to see you guys,” Molly announced as Brian and Justin stumbled down the bedroom steps because the taller man was hugging the blonde from behind. 

“You’re a freak, Sal,” Justin laughed, pulling away from Brian in order to vault over the back of the couch and plop down between the two girls. “Will you just face facts, you’re not going to get a private screening of Brian’s dick.” 

“Spoilsport,” she grumbled. 

Even though he was still standing behind the couch, Brian could tell that Molly was rolling her eyes because she made the same head motion Justin did. “I don’t see what the big deal is. I saw Brian’s pee pee this morning when I went to go get Justin.... It looked kinda funny.” 

For a very long minute it was dead silent in the loft with the exception of the teenage detectives pulling off the mask of that week’s bad guy. 

No one said a word. 

Both Justin and Sally turned their heads to look at Brian who couldn’t take his eyes off the back of Molly’s head. 

“Mollusk, you do know that you can’t tell Mom about that, right?” Justin asked in all seriousness, his eyes still locked on Brian’s face. 

Brian, meanwhile, was having a hard time not laughing and ended up scrubbing a hand over his face. Closing the distance between himself and the back of the couch, Brian leaned over to peer down at Molly, the grin finally making an appearance. 

“You may think it looks funny now, but in about six years you’re gonna change your tune.... Unless you end up like the Smurf here,” Brian said when Molly looked up at him. He then leaned down, resting his forearms against the back of the couch. “But your brother’s right. You probably shouldn’t mention the fact that you saw my dick. Your mom probably won’t approve and might not let you see Justin anymore.” 

“But she can’t do that,” Molly protested, her earlier smile becoming a sad frown. “Justin’s my brother and I should get to see him whenever I want. But I won’t tell Mommy about the picture or seeing your pee pee this morning. I promise. I don’t want to not see Justin for a long time again.” 

“Don’t worry, if I have anything to say about it, you’ll keep seeing him for a long time,” Brian assured her, leaning down to lightly bump her forehead with his own. “Don’t know why you want to, though....” 

That comment earned him a smack on the shoulder from Justin. Before long, cartoons became the main focus of attention once again and Brian was able to make himself a quick breakfast that didn’t involve sugar-loaded cereal, but something that could actually be considered food. And watching the antics of the trio in front of the TV, Brian was surprised to find himself enjoying the freakish domesticity of the scene. 

At least until he heard the buzzer sound, announcing Jennifer’s arrival. The two teenagers and the teenybopper seemed completely oblivious to it all which left Brian the task of letting the woman in. 

“Your mom’s here, Molly,” Brian called after he hit the release on the front door. “Get your stuff together.” 

“I’m not going home,” Molly announced in all seriousness, kneeling up on the couch so that she was facing Brian. “I want to stay here with you and Justin. It’s more fun here.” 

“Hey, if she gets to stay, so do I,” Sally called over her shoulder, a wide grin on her face. 

Crossing his arms over his chest, Brian shook his head. “Hate to break it to you, but this is a men-only domicile. You’re just going to have to go home.” 

“What’s a domicile?” Molly asked, furrowing her brows. 

“Only boys get to live here,” Justin clarified, already up and collecting Molly’s things to put into her Powerpuff Girl backpack. “You’re not a boy so you have to go home.” 

“That’s not fair,” Molly pouted as she sat on the top step leading into the bedroom lacing up her sneakers. 

Justin dropped her bag down next to her and sat down. “Doesn’t mean you can’t come to visit from time to time. But right now you have to go home.” 

“Fine,” she sighed dramatically. Molly then wrapped her arms around Justin’s shoulders in a quick hug. “I had fun at the party, Duster. And I’m happy you’re happy.” 

Then Molly bounced over to Brian and into his arms, automatically expecting him to catch her, which he did. She wound her slender arms around his neck, her legs going around his waist and kissed him firmly on the cheek. 

“I’m glad that you love my brother even if you do it loudly,” she whispered in his ear before brushing another kiss to his cheek. 

“That’ll be our little secret,” Brian whispered back, keeping her in his arms as he made his way over to the front door. 

When he opened the door, he took no small amount of pleasure in Jennifer’s obvious shock at seeing her daughter so at ease in Brian’s arms. The blue-eyed imp waved at her mother but showed no signs of extracting herself from her present location. Brian could tell the instant the older woman caught sight of Justin because her smile grew. 

“Justin,” the woman grinned, taking a step into the loft. “I am so proud of you, honey. Having your work shown at a gallery, it’s wonderful. Such a great opportunity for you.” 

Justin said nothing, but Brian felt his presence even before the teen placed a hand at the small of his back. 

“We gotta go now, Mommy,” Molly said as she slid out of Brian’s arms. “Justin and Brian are going to go make Justin’s hair boring again. Bye, Brian. Bye, Duster. Bye, Sally.” 

Before any of the adults were given the chance to react, Molly had snatched her backpack from Justin’s hand and was bouncing down the stairs singing the Scooby-Doo theme song. Jennifer offered one final smile in her eldest’s direction before following her daughter down the stairs. 

Only when she rounded the corner did Brian shut the door, feeling Justin’s arms come around him as he did so. 

“Are you sure that your sister is only nine?” Brian asked as he draped an arm across Justin’s shoulders and turned them back towards the rest of the loft. 

“Nine going on thirty,” Justin clarified, no hint of a smile in his voice as there should have been. “Sometimes I think she was born thirty when she isn’t been a brat.” 

“Like you’re one to talk,” Brian snickered, finally earning him a smile. He then glanced over at Sally who was trying to pretend that she was watching TV and not hanging on their every word. “You need us to drop you off anywhere, Smurf?” 

Turning off the television, Sally all but launched herself from the couch. “Nah, I’ve got my car parked across the street. I’m just gonna go pester Irina while you go turn Sid back into Sunshine.” 

Slinging her letterbag over her shoulder, Sally gave each man a quick kiss before heading towards the door and showing herself out. 

Then, finally, the pair were alone once again. 

Only instead of being mere seconds from fucking as Brian had planned the night before, Justin seemed very out of sorts. Almost as though there was an internal battle going on inside his head. One that Brian had a feeling he knew the source of. 

“You are allowed to feel something for your mother,” Brian assured him, pulling Justin into a full bodied hug and kissing his temple. “It doesn’t mean you still can’t be pissed at her for what she did.” 

Justin let out a loud sigh, burrowing his face against Brian’s throat. “I don’t know what I’m feeling right now. It’s like a feel nothing for her. She doesn’t even register. Pretty fucked, huh?” 

“Far from it,” Brian told him, resting his chin against the top of the young artist’s dark head. His gaze fell down upon the black strands and he grimaced. “Now that we’ve established that, can we please go to my stylist and have him make your hair blonde again?” 

With a snort, Justin smacked Brian’s ass. “You’re supposed to be a supportive boyfriend and make me feel better when I’m bummed.” 

Brian cupped Justin’s cheeks in his hand and raised the teen’s face so that their eyes met. “Don’t worry, Sunshine, I plan on doing that all night and quite a bit of the late afternoon.” 

Then he kissed Justin quite soundly, earning himself quite a few shuddering moans, to seal the deal.


	11. Glimmering Sunshine

Justin idly scratched at the corner of the white pastry shop box as he rode the elevator up to the top floor of the building on Tremont street. He was excited and, at the same time, trying not to be. It was only four drawings. Sketches of everyday, mundane things. And the one of Brian. It didn’t surprise him, really. Considering Brian’s legend on Liberty Avenue, he couldn’t be. 

No matter how hard Brian tried to hide that part of himself from him, Justin knew the truth. Just like he knew that he couldn’t expect Brian to change just for him. He wouldn’t expect Brian to. However, that wasn’t to say that there weren’t times when it bothered him to hear people whispering behind his back because he and Brian were “together.” 

The elevator came to a shuddering stop and Justin lurched away from the far wall and towards the grated entrance. Before he leaned down to lift the grate, Justin caught sight of the loft door out of the corner of his eye. Which was open. Something that Brian never allowed. It was one of the first things Justin had learned upon moving in with the ad exec. 

That the door had to be locked and the alarm set whenever he entered the loft. 

For all the loft’s high class appearance, it was located in a less than desirable area of the city. Before he’d had the alarm system installed five years ago, Brian had been robbed twice. Both times had been before the loft had taken on its final appearance, but it still infuriated Brian who did not like to have his well ordered life disturbed. 

Justin yanked the grate open and rushed out of the elevator. “Bri? You in here?” 

He could hear voices coming from inside the loft, but they must have been on the far side because he couldn’t quite make out what was being said. What he did recognize, however, were the voices. 

Brian and Michael. 

What was even more surprising was that they didn’t sound angry. For the first time in at least a month the two were actually having a conversation. Wanting to leave them alone to talk further, Justin turned towards the stairs. The two apparently hadn’t heard him come up in the elevator, but he wasn’t about to chance it a second time. 

“Quit stalling, Sunshine, and get your ass in here!” 

Of course Justin should have known that Brian would have heard the elevator. With little more than a roll of his eyes he jogged back up the half dozen stairs he’d managed to descend before Brian called out to him a second time. 

“I was just gonna head to the coffee shop down the street,” he said as he stepped into the loft. “Give the two of you more time to talk.” 

This time it was Brian who rolled his eyes. “You don’t need to be considerate. It’s only Mikey.” 

The fact that both men were smiling told Justin all that he needed to know. 

Or so it appeared at first. Stepping deeper into the loft, Justin could see that the smiles were more forced than they had looked at the door. Their manners were tense as well, both standing on guard against each other. Justin frowned slightly, feeling a huge sense of guilt washing over him at the sight. 

No matter what Brian might say, it was his fault. He had destroyed a fifteen year friendship that had had no problems before his arrival. 

“I’ve got to go,” Michael said into the tense silence that followed. “Ma ordered me and David over for dinner.” 

Then Michael was gone, closing the massive door behind him. 

“So I hear you and Mikey had a little chat last night,” Brian said with an arched eyebrow as he made his way over to where Justin still stood. 

“I talked to a lot of people last night so it’s possible,” Justin said evasively even as his slight grin confirmed the words. 

“Twat,” Brian accused good-naturedly. “We’re going to have to work on these goody-two-shoes tendencies of yours. You shouldn’t have gotten involved in this. It’s between Mikey and me.” 

“But you’re so stubborn that you wouldn’t do anything about it,” Justin pointed out, setting the box down on the counter. “I wasn’t going to be the reason you lost your best friend. Now you have him back.” 

“I have my friend back,” Brian amended with a loud sigh. “Sort of. It’ll be a long time till Mikey and I get back to where we had been. No matter how much you want it to it’s not going to happen over night.” 

Justin nodded his head, absently pushing his newly dyed hair away from his forehead. “I know that, Bri. I’m not that naive.” 

“Glad to hear it, Sunshine,” Brian smiled, stepping forward and draping his arms over Justin’s shoulders, pulling him closer. “So what’s in the box?” 

“Nothing you need to worry about,” the blonde said, unconsciously stepping in front of the pastry box and away from Brian. “So did you get any work done?” 

“Oh no,” Brian laughed, taking a few steps towards Justin so that they stood barley a food apart. “You’re not changing the subject, Sunshine. What’s in the box?” 

When he tried to reach around Justin to make a grab at the box, Justin moved forward and grabbed hold of Brian’s wrists, forcing his hands behind his back. Brian wasn’t foolish enough to actually believe that he was making Brian do anything he didn’t want to, but he was still glad that the taller man was playing along. 

Using this to his advantage, Justin began to steer Brian backwards, deeper into the loft and away from the box. That was for later. 

“But I want to know what’s in the box,” Brian laughed even as he allowed Justin to push him backwards over the arm of the couch in the center of the loft so that he laid sprawled across it. 

Justin stood between his spread legs, lightly massaging the bottom of his thighs. “And you’ll find out. After dinner. Till then we’re just going to have to find something else to keep you occupied.” 

“I’m not a child,” Brian pouted, nudging Justin with his knee. 

“Never said that you were,” Justin grinned as he stepped away from Brian and back towards the kitchen. 

“Where do you think you’re going?” Brian called after him. 

Not bothering to answer him, Justin hid the box under the sink before moving towards the fridge to see what they had available in the fridge. Grocery shopping was Sundays and come Saturday night there was rarely any descent food in the house. Even after nearly three months, Justin was still in the habit of checking the fridge to see what he could put together for dinner even though each and every time they ended up ordering out. 

“Sushi?” Brian asked as he slipped his arms around Justin’s waist, hugging him from behind. 

“Pizza?” Justin asked hopefully, leaning his head back against Brian’s shoulder. 

Then, simultaneously, they both said, “Sushi.” 

“Place downtown or across town?” Justin asked as Brian maneuvered him back towards the drawer full of take-out menus. 

“Whichever you grab first.” 

Two hours later, the pair were cleaning up the remnants of their meal. Somehow Justin had managed to convince the older man to eat on Brian’s expensive Italian sofa. For everything else they had done on that couch, the ad exec was extremely anal when it came to eating on his beloved furniture. 

“You don’t have any plans for tonight, do you?” Justin asked hesitantly as he put away the last of the dishes. 

Brian sidled up next to him, wrapping his arms around Justin’s shoulders. “I seem to recall mentioning earlier that we were going to spend the entire night celebrating. Speaking of which, you never mentioned the grand total.” 

Justin help up his right hand and wiggled four fingers. “Including the one of you. Which probably means that some hopeless queen is jacking off to it as we speak.” 

“The only hapless queen who’s allowed to jack off to it is you,” Brian revealed, earning him a confused look from the blonde. “There was no way I was going to let a work of art get added to some fag’s porn collection so I bought it myself. Right now it’s at Mel and Lindsay’s. I’m picking it up tomorrow when we go to visit Sonnyboy.” 

“So I really only sold three,” Justin amended, his smile fading even though he wasn’t really that upset. At least he didn’t think that he was. 

Tenderly cupping Justin’s cheek, Brian turned the young artist’s gaze towards his. “It wasn’t easy for me to get that picture,” Brian told him, ducking down so that their eyes were level. “There were a lot of people who wanted that picture, not all of them queers. One of them was that stuffy-assed breeder who writes the art column in the Saturday paper. They wanted that picture because it was a work of art and not because my dick happened to be prominently displayed. Hell, it wasn’t even because the picture was of me that I ended up with it. I had to part with a descent sized chunk of change to get my hands on it. And it was worth every cent of it.” 

“You know, no one would ever believe me if I told them you were this romantic,” Justin teased, flashing him a mega watt smile. “You’re really not the asshole you like people to think you are. Otherwise you wouldn’t have shown up at the art show.” 

“I’m protecting my investment,” Brian deadpanned, able to hold a straight face for al of two seconds. 

Justin patted his chest lightly then reached up to kiss the corner of his mouth. “Don’t worry, babe, I’ll keep your secret.” 

“Good, ‘cause if you didn’t I’d be forced to resort to drastic measures,” Brian murmured, his forehead against Justin’s, their bodies pressed together in a full bodied hug as they slowly backed out of the kitchen. 

“If you want to know what’s in the box you have to let me go,” Justin told him as they neared the steps up to the bedroom. 

Their movements stopped and Brian reluctantly released him. Whether it was a conscious action or not, Brian pouted as Justin slipped out of his arms. So the artist slipped his fingers into his lover’s hair, guiding him into a hard kiss. Then added a second, shorter kiss when Brian hesitated in letting him go. 

As he jogged back towards the sink, he could feel Brian watching his every move and paused before rounding the corner to shake his ass. Brian’s exaggerated groan had him giggling as he leaned over to open up the cupboard under the sink. 

The slight apprehension that he’d been feeling in the elevator returned full force as he set eyes on the innocent looking white box. 

“Get a move on, Sunshine,” Brian called from the depths of the bedroom, throwing Justin into action. “We can’t celebrate when we’re in different rooms.” 

“Hold on, old man,” Justin laughed, snatching the box up quickly. 

By the time Justin got to the bedroom, Brian had already stripped down to his jeans which he had also unfastened. He was standing beside the bed, hand held out towards Justin and a look in his eyes that Justin could not quite read. 

“Come here,” Brian murmured, taking a few steps towards Justin, a warm smile spreading across his features as Justin reached out to grasp his hand. He slowly guided the blonde towards him, easing his arms around the blonde. “So, monsieur artiste, what have you got planned for us tonight?” 

Justin held up the box besides their heads, turning it back and forth slightly to bring Brian’s attention to it. “I was thinking that we could start with a little dessert.” 

“And just what’s for dessert?” Brian asked, a single eyebrow arching upwards. 

Leaning backwards, trusting on Brian to keep him from toppling over, Justin set the box down on the bed. “A surprise,” Justin grinned as he eased himself back up, winding his arms around Brian’s neck. “Finish getting naked and I’ll show you.” 

“Are you going to get naked too?” 

Stepping out of Brian’s arms, Justin grabbed hold of the hem of his jersey and yanked it over his head in a single motion. He then reached down and unfastened his jeans. “There we go. Now we’re even. So how about I help you outta your jeans and you can help me outta mine?” 

Slipping his index fingers into Justin’s front belt loops, Brian pulled the blonde back towards him. “Who are you and what have you done with my Sunshine?” 

Justin furrowed his brows, pretending to think of it. “Your Sunshine’s still here. He’s just in a celebratory mood right now. He’s still not entirely used to having things worth celebrating. So bear with him.” 

Brian leaned down, mashing his lips against Justin’s. He sunk his fingers into the taller man’s hair when Brian’s tongue began probing between his lips, searching out the deep cavities in his mouth. Justin wasn’t aware of moving, but they must have been because he suddenly found himself sprawled on top of Brian, their mouths never separating. Justin couldn’t contain a moan as he felt his jeans being pushed down over his hips and immediately raised himself up onto his knees, lifting his lower body just enough to yank Brian’s jeans down as well. 

Their legs got tangled together and Justin nearly dropped down onto Brian’s chest. Even with both of the struggling and gasping, they managed to rid themselves of their jeans without knocking the pastry box off the bed. 

“Mmmmmm.... God, I love you....” Brian groaned against Justin’s cheek, slipping a hand beneath the waistband of Justin’s boxer briefs to grip his ass. 

Justin dipped his head down to lave at the side of Brian’s throat, his lips fastening on the corner of his jaw. Then he kissed a trail along Brian’s cheek until he caught Brian’s bottom lip between his teeth, sucking on until it was red and swollen. Holding himself up with his right forearm, Justin used his left hand to tug Brian’s jock down around his thighs, somehow managing to get them off between the two of them. Then Justin found himself without his briefs and the two were grinding their straining erections together. 

There was no preventing the shocked gasp that passed Justin’s lips as he felt Brian roll a condom over his cock. He gazed down at Brian with wide eyes, unsure of what was going on or even why it was happening. 

“Bri...?” Justin gasped, his body trembling visibly by that point. 

The hazel-eyed man said nothing as he eased them both closer to the center of the bed. He lifted his head, kissing Justin lightly and nudging his nose playfully. “I want to feel you inside me.” 

Before he had a chance to protest or rationalize Brian’s request, the ad exec took hold of his hand and guided it between their bodies, their combined fingers searching out and brushing against Brian’s hole. Brian’s hand disappeared only to reappear moments later, squirting some lube onto Justin’s fingers. 

Oddly enough, his fingers sliding in and out of Brian’s slick hole helped to calm Justin’s jackhammering heart rate. That was familiar territory. In the nearly three months they had been together, Brian’s asshole was something that he had explored with both his fingers and his tongue. Actually topping the older man had never even crossed his mind in his wildest dreams. Justin had only ever topped one guy before and that was a few days before his father had discovered him in the alley outside of Woody’s. 

An entire lifetime ago. 

“Oh God!” Justin cried out as he slowly pushed his way into Brian. 

Underneath him, Brian gasped, his lower body arching up to meet Justin’s initial thrust. They were both trembling, blue eyes gazing down into hazel eyes that had darkened nearly to black as their bodies slowly experimented and caught hold of a steady rhythm. Brian’s lips were gnawing at his, two sets of hands clawing at every available area of heated, sweating skin before a pair of hands managed to wrap around Brian’s leaking cock, squeezing and stroking it in time with their thrusts. 

The entire time neither spoke beyond a few muted gasps that were instantly lost within the depths of the other’s mouth. It was only as his movements became erratic and he could feel his climax building, ready to envelope him at any moment that Justin’s eyes slipped away from Brian’s. 

His final, orgasmic scream was cut off as Brian’s lips once again latched onto his own. The two men came within seconds of each other, muscles stiffening and backs arching while the pair fought to maintain their union above as well as below. Unfortunately the need for air became too great and as Justin more or less collapsed on top of Brian their frantic kiss came to an end as both sucked in greedy lungfuls of air. 

“You still haven’t told me what’s in the box,” Brian mumbled as his breathing once again returned to normal. 

Sluggishly lifting his head and turning it in the direction of where he had set the box, Justin was surprised to see it still sitting innocently on the corner of the bed. He reluctantly slid out of Brian, both of them moaning at the loss, and disposed of the condom in the nearby waste basket before reaching for the box. Sitting down cross-legged next to Brian’s hip, Justin set the box down on his lap and reverently lifted the top. He flashed Brian a toothy grin as he reached in a pulled out a larger than average chocolate eclair. 

“I wanted to celebrate and these are one of my favourite desserts,” Justin explained, setting the box aside as he stretched out next to Brian. “I remember when I was a kid that I would always try to suck out all of the filling before I ate the pastry. Wonder if that means anything.” 

Brian snorted and carefully extracted the pastry from Justin’s nimble fingers. He held it up to the artist’s lips, silently instructing him to take a bite, which Justin readily agreed to. While Justin was still chewing away, Brian heaved himself up onto one elbow so that he was staring down at the blonde then dipped the index finger of his free hand into the filling, gathering up enough of the chocolatey mess to smear across Justin’s lips. 

“You know, Sunshine, I think we’re going to have to do that a little more often,” Brian murmured as he eased his finger past Justin’s lips so that the younger man could suck the remaining chocolate from the digit. “And not just on the days you sell four drawings.” 

Justin grinned around Brian’s finger as he snatched the eclair from his boyfriend and held it up to Brian’s lips with an arched eyebrow. Brian returned Justin’s wide smile before swooping down to take the entire pastry in his mouth, his lips brushing against the tips of Justin’s fingers. 

“I hope you have more of those in there, Justin,” he said as he leaned over Justin after he finished swallowing the eclair, his face hovering only inches away. 

Pushing out Brian’s finger with his tongue, Justin shot him a pointed look before snaking his fingers into the brunette’s hair. “You’re not done with this one yet.” 

His tongue poked out to lick away a smear of chocolate along the bottom of Justin’s lip. “You’re right, I haven’t. Guess I’d better finish it then, huh?” 

“It would be a shame for all that chocolate to go to waste,” Justin agreed, his laughter turning into a groan as Brian began sucking on his bottom lip.


	12. Glimmering Sunshine

For the past three hours, Justin had been periodically bursting into fits of giggles. There was nothing in particular that would set it off. Seemingly out of nowhere, Justin would just suddenly begin to laugh. And, being Justin, it wasn’t a quiet laugh. Oh, no. Justin wasn’t capable of laughing quietly. Like everything else he did, when Justin laughed, he didn’t hold anything back. He wasn’t capable of holding back anything of himself in anything he did. 

“It’s really not that funny,” Brian grumbled, tossing an empty french fry box at the teen. 

Justin ducked, but not in time to avoid being hit by the cardboard container. “Oh, I think that it is, Bri. It’s fucking hilarious, actually. The funniest thing I’ve ever seen. I just wish I’d taken a picture.” 

“If you’d done that I would have been forced to hurt you,” Brian threatened, glancing around for further ammunition, but finding nothing worthwhile, settled for a glare. 

“Brian, the guy stuck his crotch in your face. How is that not funny?” Justin laughed as he dipped some fries into his ketchup. 

Brian groaned, idly moving the straw in his drink up and down, creating a squeaking noise as the straw moved through the plastic cover on the McDonald’s cup. When he’d purchased the tickets, having them so close to the stage had seemed like a good thing. Even without asking Justin’s opinion, he had known that the teen would get a kick out of seeing Hedwig and the Angry Inch. It was bizarre enough to hold the artist’s attention and also had an odd queer factor as well as a bit of history. 

What Brian hadn’t counted on was being the “carwash” victim. The unfortunate audience member would find himself with a face full of fringe and hot pink briefs during the Sugar Daddy number when Hedwig would venture out into the audience and stand over his chosen victim with one foot on the armrest and the other on the back of the seat. 

“Oh quit sulking,” Justin chided, kicking him lightly under the table to gain his attention. “It wasn’t that bad. Hell, if I was the one doing that you wouldn’t be complaining.” 

Brian smirked, arching a single eyebrow. “You put hot pink panties on and I’m never fucking you again.” 

“So I can do it in a leather skirt with fringe?” 

“Just for that I’m leaving you here while I go enjoy the weekend,” Brian announced as he rose from his seat, scooping his jacket off the back of the chair. 

There was a shocked gasp from behind him a he turned around and shrugged into his coat. Brian got all of two steps when he was nearly knocked down thanks to a parasite launching itself onto his back, winding its arms and legs around his upper body. Brian nearly lost his balance, but managed to keep both of them upright and held on to Justin’s calves as he walked them out of the fast food restaurant. 

“There were three sexes then one that looked like two men glued up back to back. They’re called the children of the sun,” Justin sang quietly against the side of Brian’s throat as they made their way towards the jeep, the blonde still wrapped around him from behind. 

“I’m not going to high school again,” Brian interrupted him, stopping on Justin’s side of the jeep so that the younger man could jump off his back. “So you’re just going to have to live with the two of us separated and with belly buttons.” 

Justin flashed him a mega watt smile. “Belly buttons can be fun.” 

Brian rolled his eyes, smacking Justin’s ass before jogging around to his side. “Has anyone ever told you you’re a nympho?” 

“You say that like it’s a bad thing.” 

Within minutes they were back on the interstate heading up to the lodge where Brian had made reservations till Sunday afternoon. It was just after eleven Wednesday night which gave them plenty of down time when they finally got to the lodge. Which, because they had made a minor pit-stop in New York City to see the play, wouldn’t be until around one in the morning. 

Not surprisingly, as soon as they were back out on the interstate, Justin had a CD of Hedwig’s soundtrack playing on the jeep’s sound system and was singing along. And even though he had only heard the lyrics once, the teen was singing along almost perfectly, messing up only a few lines. 

“You know, it really isn’t fair to make that hint about meat packing,” Justin told him during a lull between songs. 

Brian looked over, feigning shock. “What’s not fair about that? The theatre is in New York’s meat packing district and--” 

“--the guy who plays Hedwig had to pack away his meat,” Justin finished for him. “It’s still not fair. There’s no way I would have been able to guess that.” 

“For all you know, that was the point, Sunshine,” Brian taunted, smirk firmly in place. 

The next song was well on its way by them and Justin dropped the subject in favour of singing along. However, as soon as that song ended, the blonde looked back over at him and said, point blank, “If you think we’re going to be fucking outside in this weather you’ve got another thing coming.” 

“I’m sure as hell not looking to get frostbite on my dick,” Brian assured him, changing lanes to get them out from behind a slow-moving semi. 

The only problem was that there was most definitely going to be some outdoor fucking. Just not in a forest or wherever else the blonde was envisioning. Brian had full intentions of making proper use of the hot tub located on the balcony of their suite. It wouldn’t a true vacation if they didn’t. And provided the pictures did the room justice he was confident that Justin would have no problem breaking his mandate. 

Some time around midnight, Brian realized that Justin had stopped singing and when he glanced over he saw that it was because the teen had fallen asleep. It wasn’t that surprising. Put Justin somewhere warm, relatively comfortable and make him stay still for long periods of time and it was almost guaranteed that he would fall asleep. Even when singing along with the Yellow Submarine Justin had been known to doze off. 

Taking advantage of the quiet, Brian shut off the radio, ending Tommy Gnosis’ lament of his wicked little town. 

Of course, now that there was no music to distract him, Brian found himself thinking about things he didn’t necessarily want to think about. Like his slowly reforming relationship with Michael. That was something Brian would rather not think about because he still had a hard time thinking about his former best friend without also remember the sight of Justin tied up in Damian’s playroom. That had been, without a doubt, the most terrifying moment of his life and his supposed best friend had been the cause of it. 

Brian unconsciously reached out and placed a hand on Justin’s thigh, assuring himself that the other man was there. It was something Brian found himself doing a lot more than he would have liked to admit. There had been a few times when he had awaken in the middle of the night, reaching out for Justin, afraid the blonde wouldn’t be there. And even though he doubted that Justin was aware of what he was doing, the blonde would move towards him every time, wrapping am arm about his waist. That would always be enough to calm Brian and he would drift off to sleep once again holding tight to his lover. 

Justin shifted slightly, his body twisting more towards Brian before slipping back into a deeper sleep. 

It still floored Brian that Justin was the one trying to get him to make peace with Michael. Justin should have been the one who hated Michael the most yet he was the one lobbying for peace. And while Brian didn’t know whether he would ever be able to trust Michael again, he was willing to make an effort to be friends with him since Justin seemed to have his mind set on it. Enough so that Justin had almost disappeared on a bus to New York. All because of his supposed best friend. 

If he was honest with himself, Brian would have to admit that he wanted to fix what had gone wrong between him and Michael. They had been best friends for fourteen years and until that one Monday afternoon, Brian would have trusted him with his life. He had surprised himself by actually having a civil conversation with Michael the previous Saturday. He had resisted the urge to throw the smaller man out of the loft and they ended up having an actual conversation. 

“How long wuz I sleep?” 

Glancing away from the road momentarily, Brian watched Justin yawning and stretching, his movements restricted by the seatbelt. “We’re about ten miles from the lodge,” Brian told him, instead of giving an actual time. “You can go back to sleep if you want. I’ll wake you up when we get there.” 

Justin shook his head, sliding closer to Brian so that their arms were touching. “It’s only ten miles. I’ll stay awake.... You know, you still haven’t really told me where we’re going.” 

“New York,” Brian deadpanned. 

“Quit being a dork,” Justin laughed, dropping his head back against the headrest. “I know we’re in New York. But where specifically in New York are we going?” 

“Don’t worry about it, you’ll find out soon enough,” was the only response he was giving at the time. 

Which had Justin sulking for the next mile and a half until he could no longer keep quiet and started telling Brian about auditions for the school play coming up the following week. Romeo and Juliet. The mere mention of the Shakespearean play caught Brian’s attention, his mind instantly calling up an image of Justin parading around in a pair of tights that perfectly accentuated his glorious ass. And was quite put out when Justin informed him that it was being produced more along the lines of Baz Luhrmann’s version from a few years back. 

“It’s a miracle Shakespeare hasn’t come back to haunt Luhrmann for turning Romeo into a gun-toting beach bum,” Brian said with a shake of his head. “Does the Smurf have anything to do with this?” 

“You’d think,” Justin laughed, wiggling his way deeper into the seat. “But Mr. Braden-- the drama teacher --came up with the concept. Sall’s gonna be more of a producer. She’s in charge of getting money and promoting the play. Which means if I get in, she’s gonna have her camera in my face non-stop.” 

“As long as she doesn’t get any exclusives of you in the dressing room. Knowing Smurf she’ll try to get a picture of your dick and use it as blackmail so that I’ll show her mine,” Brian smirked, tongue in cheek. 

“That sounds like something Sally would do,” Justin mumbled, frowning slightly. “If she tries it, though, don’t give in. It’ll only encourage her.” 

“I’m not that naive, Sunshine,” Brian assured him, turning down the private road that led to the lodge. 

Even without looking, Brian knew the instant Justin caught sight of the lodge peeking out from behind a curtain of trees. There was a gasp from the teen and, when he glanced at the younger man out of the corner of his eye, Brian could see his slack-jawed expression. 

“We’re staying here?” Justin whispered, leaning forward in his seat in order to get a better view of the lodge where they would be spending the next four days. “We’re really staying here?” 

“Looks like it,” Brian mumbled, already impressed with the massive structure they were driving towards. 

The pictures in the pamphlet, it turned out, hardly did the lodge justice. What he saw as he navigated the jeep down the winding road that led to the building, was a massive colonial mansion that appeared to spread out almost infinitely in either direction, its ends hidden by massive trees. Framing the entrance was a series of columns, extending up to the second story in either direction and was topped by a long balcony. Most of the windows were dark, but a series of lights on the underside of the balcony and around the door helped the moon to illuminate the building. 

Pulling the jeep into an empty space in the gravel parking lot, Brian and Justin got out and grabbed their luggage out of the back before rushing through the cold night air towards the lodge’s entrance. Before they even mounted the steps to the porch, the door had been opened and a tuxedoed man stood waiting just inside the door. 

“Mr. Kinney, Mr. Taylor,” the man greeted as they stepped into the mansion, immediately closing the door behind them. “Here, let me take your bags. We can deal with the signing in details in the morning for I am sure that you are both quite exhausted.” 

Despite it being not even two in the morning, after having spent so much time behind the wheel that day, Brian found himself agreeing with the lodge employee. 

A second man appeared to help with the bags, leading Brian and Justin in the direction of a massive staircase that, oddly enough, neither had noticed before. It was a staircase worthy of Gone With The Wind, complete with a deep burgundy rug covering the steps that perfectly accented the deep mahogany railing. Already Brian knew that at some point during their stay that Justin would plant himself in one of the plush high-backed chairs in the foyer in order to draw that staircase and the surrounding architecture. 

The hallways they walked through were equally impressive. The carpet, like that on the staircase, was a burgundy made all the more darker by the cream-coloured walls. There were several times that Brian had to stop and pull Justin along because the blonde had paused to examine the artwork along the way. 

“It’s late, Justin. You can look at him tomorrow,” Brian promised the young artist. “Right now we’re going to our room and to bed.” 

Justin stared longingly at the painting for a moment before returning to his place at Brian’s side. “This place is amazing, Bri. How did you find it.” 

“And give away all my trade secrets? I’ve got to hold on to a few things,” Brian murmured against the side of Justin’s head as he wrapped an arm around the younger man’s waist, hugging him close. 

“Not even a hint?” the blonde teased “Just one small hint?” 

“Prada.” 

Justin stared up at him as though he’d grown a second head. “Prada? You found this place because of Prada?” 

The ad exec nodded his head. “It would seem that way, yes.” 

“You suck at hints,” Justin grumbled, pausing in front of the door that the man who had greeted them at the door was opening. 

“You’re just mad ‘cause you can’t think of an answer.” 

“I could if I wanted to, but your hint is so pathetic that I’m not even going to dignify it with an answer,” Justin grinned, sneaking past Brian and into the suite. 

Brian waited until the two hotel employees had entered the room before following them in. He couldn’t help but smile when he saw that Justin was standing in the middle of the room, turning in a slow circle in order to take it in as a whole. Once the two tuxedoed men had left, closing the door quietly behind them, Brian made his way over to Justin whose attention was focused on the king-sized mahogany four-poster bed. 

“So does this live up to your expectations?” Brian asked as he wound his arms about his lover’s waist, pulling him back against his chest. 

“This goes way past what I was expecting,” Justin breathed out, lifting his hands to cover Brian’s which rested against his stomach. “I never would have imagined we would come to a place like this.” 

Slowly, Brian turned Justin in his arms, keeping the blonde close to him and resting his forehead against Justin’s. “Last time I saw you, we’d just split in two. You was looking at me. I was looking at you,” he murmured against Justin’s lips. 

Justin grinned and reached up to wind his arms around Brian’s neck. “Do you think that’s true? What it says in the song about everyone having another half of themselves wandering around out there?” 

Brian was silent for a moment, contemplating Justin’s question. Before then he had never before really considered what love was all about. It was a foreign concept to him until only a few months ago. However, as it had been while listening to the song at the theatre, Brian’s mind was instantly drawn back to a philosophy class he’d taken his first year at Penn State. 

“If Socrates has something to say about it, there must be something to it,” Brian said at last, smiling down at Justin. “He may be long-winded, but there’s usually some truth to what he’s talking about. The question is actually finding the source of your belly button.” 

Stepping back slightly, Justin reached down and pulled up the hem of his jersey with one hand to reveal his belly button. Brian stood stock still when the blonde then reached over with his other hand to raise the bottom of Brian’s form fitting black tee. Justin then took a step forward, a frown appearing when it became obvious that their navels weren’t at the same level. 

Brian just shrugged slightly as he draped his arms over Justin’s shoulders. Dipping his head down, he met Justin’s gaze and held it. “It’s not like either of us have ever really followed the rules. If we do anything we’re gonna bend the rules and create whole new ones.” 

That got him a full fledged mega watt sunshine grin out of Justin. 

And quite a breath taking kiss.


	13. Glimmering Sunshine

The only way he would willingly leave that bed would be if it was transported to another dimension and he was left in that one. Or vise versa. The fact remained that he was not giving up the bed. 

Especially not when lying in the bed included the taunting lips that were tracing wet patterns all over his torso. 

“I know you’re awake, Sunshine,” Brian mumbled against his belly button. “Feel free to join in the festivities.” 

“Morning to you too,” Justin yawned, stretching luxuriously against the mattress. “This my wake-up call?” 

Brian slowly moved up his body, leaving a trail of kisses until he was peering down at the blonde’s face. “Well see as how you’re the one who woke me up it’s only fair.” 

“I woke you up?” Justin asked, scrunching his face up. “I was sound asleep until a few minutes ago.” 

“Not all of you,” Brian smirked, tongue in cheek. 

Justin could feel his cheeks flushing, fully aware of what Brian was talking about. “Sorry ‘bout that. It can be a very demanding bit of anatomy.” 

“More than a bit,” Brian corrected him, dropping a light kiss on the tip of his nose. “You definitely have more than just a bit of anatomy there. A bit is what Gus has.” 

That got Justin laughing. “Like you’ve ever changed Gus’ diaper! You always make me do it when we’re watching him.” 

“I’ve changed my kid’s diaper,” Brian protested, lowering himself down on top of Justin so that the teen could hold onto his hips. “But, I gotta say, I’d much rather see you without your pants on. Very beautiful. Every part of you.” 

Even though it wasn’t the first time Brian had praised his looks, Justin still found himself blushing. He wasn’t sure that he would ever get used to hearing the compliments. A lot of the time, Justin still found it hard to believe that Brian thought he was beautiful after having witnessed firsthand what Damian had done to him. Justin would always feel sick to his stomach whenever he though of his time with the psychotic doctor. 

“Hey, no bad thoughts,” Brian chided, dipping his head down to bump his forehead against the artist’s. “Real life doesn’t exist this weekend. Just you and me and this place where neither of us have been before.” 

That instantly coaxed a smile out of Justin. “How do you always do that? How do you make me feel like me life’s not for shit?” 

“Because it’s not,” Brian responded automatically, the intense look to his hazel eyes brooking no argument. “Nothing you do is for shit. It’s just not possible. You’re destined for great things, Justin. I don’t doubt it for a second.” 

Justin’s hands moved up from their place on Brian’s hips to encircle his waist. “Will I sound like a broken record if I tell you that you’re extremely biased where I’m concerned?” 

“Doesn’t make it less true,” Brian whispered in his ear then tilted his head slightly to nibble on his earlobe. 

Not giving Justin a chance to respond and discredit his words, Brian lifted his head and the blonde’s bottom lip between both of his. Though Brian had used the tactic many times in the past, Justin arched up against his lover, grinding their cocks together. 

“Someone’s eager,” Brian grinned against Justin’s lips. 

Justin laughed and slipped a hand to the back of Brian’s head, raking his fingers through the silky strands that were sticking up at bizarre angles like it did every morning. “You’re the one who started it. Waking me up when I was in the middle of a very nice dream.” 

Brian snickered, his breath warm against Justin’s cheek. “Yeah, that dream of yours kinda woke me up.... Actually, you’re not so little bit did. Very demanding.” 

“Oh yeah? What do you plan on doing about it?” Justin asked waggling his eyebrows which got Brian laughing again. 

“Well I was thinking I could start by sticking my nice big bit into that tight little hole of yours.” 

“That so?” Justin grinned, shifting his hips slightly to get Brian’s full attention. 

Brian pressed himself flat against Justin, capturing the blonde’s face in his hands and kissing him for all he was worth. “That’s definitely so,” Brian gasped against Justin’s lips when he pulled away from the kiss. 

It was close to noon before the pair made it out of their room in order to explore the hotel and get something to eat. Justin still couldn’t believe that he and Brian were on a vacation together, especially not in such a beautiful old mansion. Things like that were only supposed to happen in movies. Straight movies where his role was played by some barely clad little starlet and Brian, preferably, was Ewan McGregor. 

“You still haven’t told me how you found out about this place,” Justin reminded him as they walked down the massive staircase to the main floor of the mansion. He had his arm wrapped around Brian’s waist and was peering up at his face with a teasing smirk. 

Brian lifting his hand from where it was resting on Justin’s shoulder and flicked his ear. “I already told you--” 

“Yeah yeah yeah. Prada,” Justin deadpanned, rolling his eyes. He then stopped, one foot hanging over the step below, nearly causing him and Brian to both go tumbling down the remaining twelve steps. “Your tailor! You had that new Prada suit of yours altered a few weeks ago! That’s who you found out about it from!” 

“Jeez, Sunshine, are you trying to kill me?” Brian demanded as they started back down the stairs again. 

“Tell me I’m right, Bri,” Justin singsonged, practically bouncing down the rest of the steps. “Tell me that I figured out one of your awful hints.” 

Brian let out an exaggerated sigh and followed slowly after Justin. “I think you’ve got it figured out, Justin. You don’t need me to confirm it.” 

“But I wanna hear you say it,” Justin laughed, descending the last three steps backwards. “I want to hear you say that you’re not as smart as you like to think you are.” 

“Well I’m not saying it,” Brian informed him, tongue in cheek smirk evident. 

“Yes, you are.” 

“No, I’m not.” 

“Yes, you-- ACK! BRIAN!” 

Justin was laughing hysterically as charged him and swung him up over his shoulder. Despite all his squirming and wiggling, Justin couldn’t get Brian to let him down. There were a few people wandering about the main lobby who gave them strange looks and Justin simply waved at them before turning his gaze back to Brian’s ass. 

“Good morning, Mr. Kinney. I trust that everything is up to your expectations,” someone said to Brian, apparently not noticing Justin who was still draped over the ad exec’s shoulder like a blonde wrap. 

“Everything is wonderful, Mr. Johansen,” Brian confirmed, removing his hand from Justin’s waist, presumably to shake the man’s hand. “Best vacation I’ve had in years.” 

“Which I hope has something to do with the blonde you’re carrying over your shoulder, cave man,” Justin giggled, lifting his head to divert the blood that was flowing to his head. 

“Depends on whether or not the blonde is going to behave,” Brian called over his shoulder. 

Justin gave Brian’s ass a playful swat before the taller man lowered him back to his feet. He wavered momentarily, but Brian’s hand on his arm helped to steady him. 

“So you must be the infamous Mr. Taylor,” the hotel manager said to Justin, holding a hand out for the teen to shake. “I have heard much of you in the past week.” 

“Well that’s certainly ominous,” Justin grinned as he shook the older man’s hand. “And, please, call me Justin. I get enough of the ‘Mr. Taylor’ sh-- stuff at school.” 

“Very well, Justin. I can assure you, my comment was not meant to be the least bit ominous,” Mr. Johansen assured him. “Gentlemen, if you’ll follow me, I can show you the way to the dining room.” 

The dining room was only the starting point of their explorations of the extensive mansion that had been converted into a vacation lodge in the 1950’s. Before then it had belonged to a prominent New York family that had run out of members to pass it down to. In its new capacity as country retreat, control was being passed down through the Johansen family as it had its original owners. 

Without a doubt, Justin’s favourite part of the mansion, aside from the massive bed in their suite, was the atrium at the back of the lodge. The glass enclosure had a spectacular view of the not so distant mountains and the forests that ran along its base as far as he could see in either direction. The atrium was furnished with turn of the century furniture including a large chaise which was wide enough for him and Brian to lay side by side on, the taller man spooning him against his chest, and watch the fluttering snow outside the window. 

“I remember when I was younger-- after I got over the whole girls have cooties thing --I remember I used to imagine that I’d go somewhere like this with some girl,” Justin murmured, his hand sliding down to link with Brian’s which was resting on his stomach. “Of course, it never really felt right. There was always something missing from my pretend vacations. But this feels right.... Like we’re the only two people in the world.” 

A newspaper page being turned somewhere over on the other side of the room let Justin know that they weren’t alone, but it was close enough. 

By dinner, the two really hadn’t done anything of note, but Justin could not remember a time when he felt so content. It was almost as though they were removed from the rules of reality and were simply existing to each other. 

“They have popcorn chicken!” Justin cried as he peered over Brian’s shoulder to look at the room service menu. “Can we get that?” 

Brian turned his head, smirking at the teen. “You do realize that popcorn chicken isn’t something your normally eat for Thanksgiving dinner. I figured you’d be after turkey.” 

Using his index finger to push Brian’s head back towards the menu, Justin said, “Because I can have turkey any time I want-- God knows you eat it enough --and I want popcorn chicken. Please?” 

“Fine, you can have popcorn chicken,” Brian assented, a smile curving the corners of his lips upwards. 

“Are you going to eat some too?” Justin prodded, chin resting on Brian’s shoulder as he scanned the rest of the menu’s items. 

“I might be coaxed into it,” Brian grinned. 

Justin bounced off the couch, thrilled to have his way with it. “Make sure all of the foods are finger foods.” 

“And just what are you plotting?” Brian called after him as the blonde made his way over to the bed to grab his sketchbook. 

“Who says I’m plotting anything?” 

As Brian ordered their dinner, the exact specifics of which he didn’t know, Justin stretched out on the bed and began to flip through his sketchbook for the one he’d been working on earlier in the day. The sketch was of his favourite muse-- Brian --reading in the atrium a few hours before. Back in the present, he watched as Brian paced arose the room, dressed only in a pair of jeans so that Justin could see the play of muscles in his upper body as he moved. Still smiling, Justin turned his attention back to the papers, focusing his attention on Brian’s hands which were casually holding the tattered paperback. At the same time, there was an incredible power in Brian’s hands. A power Justin had noticed that first night first when he’d pulled Damian off him then only an hour or so later when he’d seen him holding Gus for the first time. Brian’s hands were his favourite features on the ad exec along with his shoulders. With each movement the toned muscles flexed and shifted, clearly demonstrating the strength he possessed. 

“All right, brat, I ordered your popcorn chicken,” Brian said as he stretched out overtop of Justin, pressing a kiss to the side of his throat before turning his attention to the sketchbook. “That’s good. But one day you’re going to have to get a new muse. Not that I mind you drawing me, ‘cause I don’t, but I think people might get a little bored seeing me all the time.” 

Justin tilted his head to the side and pressed a kiss to the corner of Brian’s jaw. “I don’t think I could stop drawing you if I wanted to. Which, I gotta say, I really don’t want to since your body is an artist’s dream come true.” 

“You sure it’s wise to feed my ego like that?” Brian asked, nuzzling the side of the teen’s throat. 

Justin lightly knocked his head against Brian’s “You know your ego’s nowhere near as big as you’d like people to think it is.” 

Out of the corner of his eye, Justin could see Brian arching an eyebrow at that. “And just what makes you think that?” 

“‘Cause I’ve seen how pitiful you can be when you’re nursing a real bad hang-over. You’re a real pussy then.” 

Justin let out a loud shriek as Brian attacked, finding the sensitive spots and tickling. Soon Justin was on his back, attempting to squirm his way out of Brian’s reach. It was a futile effort because Brian had long arms and kept Justin pinned to the mattress and in striking distance. 

“This is not FAIR!” Justin giggled, tears streaming down his cheeks from all the laughing he was doing. 

Brian chuckled low in his throat, licking the length of Justin’s right cheek. “That’s what you get for calling me a pussy, Sunshine. You ready to apologize yet?” 

Justin shook his head, knowing he wouldn’t be able to get anything out at that point besides another shriek of laughter. 

Whether it was torture or not, Brian swooped down, covering Justin’s mouth with his own which cut off the blonde’s air supply even more. However, that didn’t stop Justin from responding to the kiss. He wound his arms around Brian’s shoulders, sinking his fingers into his lover’s hair and pulling him down even tighter against his body, spreading his legs to give Brian more room to lie comfortably. 

Both were panting heavily when they were forced apart from lack of oxygen. Justin was given no time to recover as Brian began to kiss a trail down his torso, first pulling down the neck of his shirt to get to his collarbone then kneeling up momentarily to remove the shirt completely before spreading himself back down ontop of the teen. He cried out when Brian’s tongue laved his left nipple, teasing it into hardness before capturing it between his teeth which had Justin crying out and digging his fingers into Brian’s hair to hold him still closer. 

“Bri!” he gasped, shifting his hips slightly to relieve the pressure in his suddenly confining cargo pants. 

Brian lifted his head, resting his chin on the center of Justin’s chest. “Do you want me to stop?” 

“Fuck no!” Justin cried, his eyes finding Brian’s and holding the older man’s gaze while Brian turned his attention to his other nipple. “Fuck!” 

Slowly, Brian worked his way down Justin’s upper body, tracing the artist’s ribs with his lips and tongue before moving on to his belly button. As Brian began to nibble on the outer edges of his navel, Justin felt his cock swell even more making him moan almost as much as what Brian was doing to his belly button. 

Justin cried out in relief when he felt Brian fumbling with the button at the top of his pants. A relief which was quickly brought to an end when he realized that Brian had no intentions of releasing the zipper as well. Instead he continued to tease, focusing his attentions on the lower part of Justin’s stomach between his belly button and the top of his pubic hair. 

“Brian, please....” Justin pleaded, his hands flailing weakly in Brian’s direction, landing on the comforter when he couldn’t seem to find his boyfriend’s shoulders. 

Brian’s nose continued to move over his skin as he mumbled, “Are things getting a little uncomfortable for you, Sunshine?” 

“Bri....” 

“That doesn’t answer my question,” Brian teased and Justin could feel him smile against his stomach. 

“Please, Bri!” Justin tried again, his mind unable to form an actual response, but hoping Brian would help him anyway. 

And sobbed in relief when he felt Brian ease his pants and boxers down just enough to free his cock and balls. 

“I’ve never seen anyone as beautiful as you,” Brian told him seconds before he wrapped his lips around the head of Justin’s dick. 

It took every ounce of self control he possessed not to thrust up into Brian’s mouth, instead letting the brunette do what he would to him. As always, Brian did not disappoint. Holding his hips stationary, Brian eased more and more of Justin’s cock into his mouth, the bulbous head bumping against the back of his throat and causing the teen to cry out. Between the constant suction and Brian’s tongue undulating against the underside of his cock, Justin’s control was almost non-existent. In the end, what undid him was Brian’s thumb-- when did his hand leave his hips? --pressing against his asshole, seeking entrance. Brian pushed against the opening half a dozen times, never allowing his thumb to move inside, and Justin cried out, his body going stiff in climax. 

“Perfect timing,” Brian announced, brushing a quick kiss to Justin’s belly before rolling off the bed. 

“Wha...?” Justin groaned, barely managing to lift his hips as Brian began to arrange him back in his boxers and cargo pants. 

By the time he rolled onto his side, Brian was already at the door, standing aside to allow the man with the tray of food into the suite. As soon as he caught sight of the covered platters, Justin crawled off the bed and sluggishly made his way towards Brian who was watching the man set up the plates on the floor in front of the fireplace. 

“Think you’ve worked up an appetite yet?” Brian teased, winding an arm around Justin’s waist and pulling the teen against his side. 

When the other man was gone, Justin popped down on one side of the three covered plates, contemplating each one in turn before removing the lid of the middle one. A wide grin spread over his face as he revealed the popcorn chicken. He picked up a piece and popped it into his mouth, leaning against Brian as his boyfriend sat down beside him. 

“Open up,” Justin ordered, holding a small piece of breaded chicken in front of Brian’s lips. “Come on, Bri, you know you want some.” 

Brian opened his mouth just enough to sneak the chicken past his lips, closing his mouth over Justin’s thumb and forefinger for a moment before releasing them. 

“Why don’t you see what else I ordered,” Brian prodded, nudging Justin with his knee. 

“Happy Thanksgiving,” Justin said, almost after the fact as he reached for the lids covering the other two plates.


	14. Glimmering Sunshine

It was only 2am Saturday morning, but it was already turning out to be the most enjoyable Thanksgiving weekend he could remember. No calls from his mother demanding that he make an appearance for dinner Thursday night. No Deb using Mikey to drag him over to her house for leftovers Friday. No slim pickings at the clubs. No indigestion from too much turkey. 

He and Justin were at a lodge in a completely different state from the rest of their dysfunctional family. 

Add the phenomenal sex they’d been having the past three nights and he was one very happy ad executive. 

“I am awake, you know,” Justin mumbled into the pillow he nearly had his face buried in. “So no staring.” 

Brian rolled over so that he was half lying on top of Justin and pressed a kiss to the base of his neck. “I don’t have a sketchbook out so you don’t get to complain, Sunshine. You just get to lie there and let me finish what I’ve started.” 

Justin moved around a bit, pulling his arms under his head and stretching his body out, giving Brian a better canvas on which to operate. Which was exactly what Brian did. He had always loved Justin’s back. It was a wonderful pale expanse of unmarked skin that led down the perfect bubble butt that Brian worshipped like nothing else. Except that wasn’t entirely true. Brian loved every inch of the blonde and had spent several hours the day before proving just that. There wasn’t one inch of Justin’s body that Brian hadn’t licked, sucked, kissed or caressed. He’d driven the blonde insane and enjoyed every minute of it. 

“You’d better not be doing when I think you’re doing,” Justin moaned into the pillow as Brian’s lips continued to travel lower and lower. “‘Cause I’d really like to get some sleep at one point tonight.” 

“Haven’t you learned by now that sleep is a highly overrated concept?” Brian teased, brushing his lips over the middle of Justin’s back before resting his head against the upper swell of Justin’s buttocks. 

Justin chuckled deep in the back of his chest and glanced at Brian over his shoulder. “Maybe for you, but in case you’ve forgotten, I’m a growing boy and need my sleep.” 

Arching an eyebrow, Brian lifted his head from Justin’s lower back and slid his hand under Justin’s hips, feeling around for his dick. A smile spread across his features when the tips of his fingers brushed against the hard length. “Definitely a growing boy. Guess I’ll have to take care of it so that you can get some sleep.” 

When Justin didn’t protest, Brian rolled Justin over onto his back. At the sight of Justin’s obvious erection, Brian lifted his eyes to the teen’s who was doing his best not to smile. He leaned over and pressed a tender, open-mouthed kiss against the base of Justin’s cock which got him a fairly descent moan. 

“I was sleeping nicely until you decided to start staring at me,” Justin smirked down his body at the older man. 

“That so?” 

Justin nodded his head, his hips arching upwards as Brian trailed his tongue along the underside of his shaft. “You k-know it... know it is.” 

Brian lifted his head completely away from Justin groin and glanced up towards the artist’s face. “So does this mean you want me to let you go back to sleep?” 

The glare that Justin sent his way had Brian smiling. Taking pity on his lover, Brian lowered his head back down, swirling his tongue around the broad head of his cock. Justin arched immediately under him, letting out a strangled cry that Brian was pretty sure involved his name in a couple of places. 

Then somewhere off to his right, Brian became dimly aware of the Mighty Mouse theme song chiming. 

“What the...?” 

Justin’s head shot up off the pillow and he began fumbling towards the beside table. “I thought I turned my cell phone off.... Hello? Lindz.... Wha...? Yeah, he’s here.... Sure. Hold on a sec.” 

Sliding up the bed, Brian stretched out next to Justin and took the phone from the younger man. “Please tell me that you have a good reason for interrupting our vacation.” 

“Gusissickandweneedyoutocomebackhome.” 

Draping his free arm over his eyes, Brian took a deep breath. “You wanna try that again, Lindz? The only part of that I got was Gus’ name.” 

“He’s sick, Bri,” Lindsay whimpered and in the background Brian could hear the infant’s frantic sobs. “Mel and I are gonna take him to the hospital, but we really need you to come back.” 

“You do realize that Justin and I are in New York? Upstate New York,” Brian reminded her, pulling Justin against his side. 

Lindsay continued to sniffle quietly. “Please, Bri. I know that this weekend is important to you and Justin, but Gus is really sick and you need to come home.” 

“Lindz, it’s 2am. Even if Justin and I left now there’s nothing we could do,” Brian sighed, burrowing his face against the top of Justin’s head. “The three of you will probably already be back home by the time we even get out New York.” 

“But, Bri....” Lindsay whimpered at the same time Justin asked, “What’s going on?” 

Brian dropped his head back onto the pillow. “We’ll leave first thing in the morning, Lindz. If we tried to leave now I’d end up driving the jeep into a pole out of sheer exhaustion. Tell Gus his Daddas love him and that we’ll be home as soon as possible.” 

It wasn’t until he felt Justin stiffen against him that Brian realized that there was anything odd about what he’d said to Lindsay. The blonde lifted his head from against Brian’s shoulder and stared down at him uncertainly. It took a moment for Brian to realize that he’d referred to Justin as Gus’ dad. One of them anyway. The main reason he hadn’t thought anything of it when he’d said it was because, in his mind anyway, he’d always thought of Justin that way. There hadn’t been a conscious point when he’d started regarding Justin as Gus’ other dad. It had just always been that way. 

“What’s wrong with Gus?” Justin ended up asking in place of the question Brian knew was running through his mind. 

Brian slipped a hand behind Justin’s head and stroked his fingers through the blonde locks. “Seems like Sonny boy’s caught his first cold and Lindz is freaking out and demanding we go home right now.” 

“But if Gus is sick, shouldn’t we head back? He’ll need his Dadda,” Justin prompted, frowning slightly. 

“A few hours won’t make any difference,” Brian said as he lifted his head enough to brush a kiss against the corner of Justin’s mouth. “Gus won’t know whether we’re there or not so we’ll just leave first thing in the morning. Then his Daddas will go make sure that his Mommies haven’t smothered him to death.” 

Justin frowned slightly, ducking his head down so that he could no longer meet Justin’s eyes. “I’m not one of Gus’ dads, Bri. He only has one dad and that’s you. I’m just... I’m just there.” 

Brian cupped Justin’s cheeks in his hands and lifted his head. “Don’t even try it, Sunshine. You know that you’re more important than that. Besides, Gus needs you for a dad. You’ll make sure that I’ll do right by him no matter what. And you love him. That’s the most important part. You couldn’t love him more if you really were his father.” 

To ensure that Justin didn’t argue, Brian guided Justin’s face down to his. He grinned momentarily before closing the distance and covering Justin’s lips with his own. 

“Now, little boy, I do believe that we were in the middle of something before we were so rudely interrupted,” Brian reminded him with a tongue in cheek smirk. 

Just like he’d hoped, that got a smile out of the blonde who slid over on top of Brian. Deciding to let Justin take the lead, Brian laid there as Justin enveloped him in a full body hug, only running his hands over the artist’s sides as he began to cover his chest with soft, open-mouthed kisses. He loved the feel of Justin’s lips moving over his skin and had no difficulties simply enjoying Justin’s attentions. 

“You know, sometimes I wish I was a sculptor,” Justin mumbled against his stomach. “So that I could mold you into marble or bronze or something that would last forever. Longer than canvas. Keep you young forever. Beautiful. To be able to mold it under my fingers.... Till then I’ll just make do with sketching you.” 

“Nothing wrong with sketches,” Brian murmured, sliding a hand down his body in order to sink his fingers into the rumpled hair. “It’s better than what I can do.” 

Lifting his head, Justin glanced up Brian’s body to meet the other man’s gaze. “Trust me, Bri, what you give me is a lot better than any picture. So much better. Now be quiet and let me finish.” 

Brian’s smile grew at Justin command and he tucked his arms up under his head. There was no need for him to interfere with what Justin was doing. It was one of the benefits of having an artist for a boyfriend. Justin knew his body in ways Brian had never allowed another person. They had been together for nearly three months and in that time had become quite knowledgeable of each other’s bodies. Knowledge which Justin was exhibiting as he trailed the tip of his tongue along the crease where Brian’s right hip met his upper thigh. 

He could feel Justin tracing patterns on his skin with that wonderfully talented tongue of his, fingers brushing over his other hip in a surprisingly soothing manner. While Justin contented himself with laving that strip of flesh that drove Brian insane, his equally busy hand was slowly moving closer and closer to his aching cock. Not touching it, though. When he put his mind to it, Justin was a truly evil tease. But when he lifted his head and Brian caught side of the huge smile on Justin’s face, Brian realized that he didn’t care in the least that Justin was letting his evil side out. 

Apparently having had enough with the torture, Justin turned his head and nuzzled Brian’s balls with his nose. Of course, being Justin, that wasn’t enough for him and before long the underside of his dick was the canvas for Justin’s tongue doodles. 

Very talented tongue doodles that drove him to the brink of insanity when he began to play with the slit before taking pity on him and surrounding the head with his luscious lips. 

By that point all bets were off and it was all Brian could do not to start thrusting into Justin’s mouth. He gripped the sheets tightly in his fists, his breath coming out in heaving pants and sweat plastering his bangs to his forehead. 

“Justin!” Brian cried as Justin swallowed him whole, his throat muscles closing over the head. He came then, flooding Justin’s throat with his come. 

He was still gasping as Justin crawled up his body, snuggling himself against Brian’s side. When he got close enough, Brian turned his head and pressed a kiss against Justin’s forehead, winding his arms around the blonde’s slender frame. 

“I was supposed to be the one lulling you back to sleep,” Brian murmured into the top of his head, already feeling himself drifting off to sleep despite his best attempts at stay awake. 

“You’ve got a lot of driving to do tomorrow, old man, so you need your sleep,” Justin told him as he coaxed the down comforter up from the foot of the bed so that it was snuggled around their shoulders. 

Brian was too tired to even chastise Justin for poking fun at his age which was creeping ever closer to thirty. He did, however, manage to mumble, “Brat,” before he fell asleep. 

The sun was just starting to peek in through the massive windows when Brian awoke a second time. He automatically tried to roll onto his side and wind his arms around Justin like he did every morning, but soon found that he was pinned to the mattress. Brian opened his eyes a little more and peered down at his body, not really surprised to discover that Justin was the reason he couldn’t move. The artist was all but wound around him, head on his shoulder, arm around his chest, legs twined with his. 

It was hardly the first time he’d woken up that way since Justin had moved in with him. And since he couldn’t roll over onto his side like he would have wanted to, he slipped his arms around Justin’s torso, holding him as close as possible. Justin was always so warm when he held him in the morning like a mini blonde furnace. It made getting out of bed a very difficult task each morning. 

The hard on he felt pressing against his hip wasn’t making that task any easier. 

That morning was no different as he felt Justin’s ever-present morning erection butting against his side. 

“Time to wake up, brat,” Brian whispered in the blonde’s ear. He then traced the tip of his tongue along the shell of Justin’s ear, knowing just how ticklish he was there. 

What he didn’t expect was Justin swatting at his head and rolling onto his other side. 

“Hey!” Brian cried as he crawled over on top of the still sleeping teen. “It’s not nice to hit your boyfriend when he’s attempting to initiate sex.” 

“Wha...?” Justin groaned, lifting his head off the pillow. “You’re squishing me, Bri,” he mumbled around a yawn then snuggled back down into the mattress. 

“I’m squishing you?” Brian asked incredulously, staring down at the back of Justin’s blonde head. “Well if you’re gonna be that way I’m just gonna go take a shower by myself.” 

Brian wasn’t even halfway to the suite’s expansive bathroom before his blonde parasite had launched itself onto his back. To ensure that Justin didn’t go sliding anywhere-- and because he could --Brian slipped his hands behind his back to cup Justin’s plump buttocks to hold him in place. And, of course, he couldn’t resist the urge to dip one finger into the crack and play with his asshole, the small bud opening willingly under his touch. 

It was nearly two hours later when they were finally ready to leave the suite and brave the highway system on their way back to Pittsburgh. At least in theory. Brian had no problem making the long drive back to the Pitts, Justin would keep things amusing, it was what would happen when he and Justin showed up at Lindsay and Melanie’s. He would be in deep shit from Lindsay for not rushing back home as son as she called. 

“Gus knows that you love him,” Justin said between tracks on the radio. “If we were at home you would have been at the hospital as soon as you could. There was nothing you could do and if she was thinking clearly Lindsay would know that too.” 

Brian glanced over at Justin momentarily, once again caught off guard by Justin’s ability to read him so well. 

“You certainly are a perceptive little twink,” Brian said casually with a tongue in cheek smirk. “I highly doubt that Lindsay’ll share your observation, though.” 

Justin shrugged his shoulders. “Doesn’t matter what Lindsay thinks. I know that she’s one of your best friends, but she has a nasty vindictive streak when she puts her mind to it.” 

Even though he didn’t want to admit it, Brian knew that Justin was right. There were many times that he was sure Lindsay forgot that she was a lesbian, especially where Gus was concerned. At time she tended to act as though it was the two of them that were the infant’s parental unit instead of her and Melanie. And while Brian had no problem being Gus’ dad, he was nowhere near ready to be a full time parent. It was much easier to uphold the part-time gig. His love for his son rivaled only his love for Justin, but there was only so much that he could do for Gus because he wasn’t ready to give up all of his vices and his lifestyle. Justin’s presence had already turned his world upsidedown and he was willing to admit that it was Justin’s role in his life that helped him mellow out enough to be a dad to Gus on at least a partial basis. 

“Oh!” Justin cried suddenly, jerking Brian’s attention away from his thoughts. “There’s a McDonalds at this rest stop! Let’s stop here!” 

Brian glanced over at him, rolling his eyes. “We’re only forty-five minutes from the Pitts, Sunshine. Can’t you wait that long? We’ll stop off at the diner before we head over to Lindz and Mel’s.” 

“But it’s McDonalds,” the blonde pouted, staring longingly at the approaching fast food restaurant. “It’s like a tradition. Whenever you go on a roadtrip you have to go to McDonalds on the way to wherever you’re going and the way home.” 

“You’re definitely an odd one, kid,” Brian chuckled as he pulled into the turn off lane. 

Justin squealed and leaned over the center console to wrap his arms around Brian’s shoulders. “I’ll get some meat on those skinny bones of yours yet,” he giggled in between kisses. 

“You know, I still can get out of this lane,” Brian threatened good-naturedly, reaching a hand towards the turning indicator. 

Justin bounced back into his seat immediately, but was still bouncing up and down slightly as they began to leave the highway for the roadside rest stop. Since Brian wasn’t hungry himself, they only went through the drive-thru so that Justin could get his Big Mac combo, supersized. Even so, he was confident that Justin would have no problems stuffing his face when they got to the munchers to check up on Gus. 

“Do you think they’ll have anything to eat?” Justin asked when they were about two blocks away from the Peterson/Marcus household. 

Stopping and the next stop sign, Brian paused long enough to give the teen an incredulous look. “You can’t be serious. You just ate. You probably haven’t even digested that greasy mess you ate from McDonalds.” 

“I’m a growing boy,” Justin defended himself, flashing Brian a wide grin. 

“Brat,” Brian smirked, lightly smacking Justin’s stomach. Pressing down on the clutch, Brian shifted gears and started forward once again. 

Out of the corner of his eye, Brian caught sight of a sudden movement. Too close to avoid. His arm shot across to brace Justin back against his seat at the same time the silver vehicle slammed into the side of the jeep.


	15. Glimmering Sunshine

“Fuck.” 

Justin was pretty sure that he was the one who said that. He’d felt his jaw move and was pretty sure his vocal cords had made the necessary vibrations... but he still wasn’t too sure. Very cautiously, he opened his eyes, honestly surprised to see a tree branch lying across the hood of the jeep. 

“Fuck.” 

That time he knew for a fact that he was the one who’d spoken. Justin moved slightly and felt something flop down onto his lap. Followed by a moan. Not an odd occurrence, especially since the moan was most definitely Brian’s. The odd part was that his hand was lying palm up rather than down. There was also no way that way his arm was lying could have been comfortable. So he turned his head to the left and-- 

“Fuck!” 

The driver’s side of the jeep was crumpled in slightly as a result of the thick tree trunk it had been thrown against. Brian didn’t seem to be hurt to badly as a result. The window had merely buckled and not actually broken and Brian was leaning away from the ruined side of the jeep. Oddly enough, it was the right side of his body that seemed the most damaged, most noticeably his shoulder which was resting at a funny angle. 

Keeping his body as still as possible so he didn’t jar Brian’s arm, Justin fumbled with the seatbelt, attempting to free himself from its confines. Luckily the belt wasn’t jammed and he had it off in seconds then carefully shifted Brian’s arm onto his own lap so that he could move freely. 

“Brian...? Bri? Can you hear me?” Justin murmured as he gently smoothed Brian’s bangs from his forehead, wincing at the gash he saw above the other man’s right eyebrow. A distant thought at the back of his mind kept him from moving Brian, but it did not prevent him from moving his fingers over Brian’s face, attempting to get some sort of reaction from him. “Bri, please....” 

“Jusss....” 

His voice was rough and gravelly, but still recognizable as Brian’s. Being extremely careful, Justin moved his hand to the back of Brian’s head, smoothing his fingers through the rumpled locks. 

“I’m right here, Bri, I’ve got you,” Justin assured him, leaning forward to brush a kiss against his lover’s cheek. 

“Hey are you all right in there?” 

Justin’s entire body stiffened at the sound of the voice coming from the broken window behind him. Continuing to run his fingers through Brian’s hair, Justin turned, glancing over his shoulder at the last person he had ever expected to see. 

“Justin?” 

“It was you,” Justin hissed as he turned the rest of the way, placing himself protectively between his lover and his father. “How did you know we were back? We’ve been gone all weekend? How did you know? Why were you here?” 

“Justin--” 

“Get the fuck away from us!” Justin shouted, moving across the seat to the passenger side door where his father was peering in. “I am not going to let you hurt Brian again!” 

Shoving his hands through the broken remains of the window on his side, he pushed his father away from the damaged vehicle. As his father stumbled back onto the street, Justin forced the door open and climbed out after him. He wanted to stay with Brian, to make sure that he was all right, but something inside was forcing him to confront his father. A confrontation he hadn’t been strong enough endure nine months before. The three months he’d been with Brian had helped to build back the confidence he’d lost that day his father had thrown away his life. 

“Now, Justin, you know that--” 

“I don’t want to hear it!” Justin roared, taking a step towards his father. “Look, I get why you don’t want me as a son. Hell, I don’t even care that you’d probably rather want me dead than have to admit that I’m your son. But you don’t get to hurt Brian! Do you even realize what you just did? You could have fucking killed him! And me. Did you even think about that? Of course not, you--” 

“Juss....” Brian moaned, interrupting him. He then let out a small, whimpering cry which instantly caught Justin’s attention. 

Craig was instantly forgotten in the instant that Justin heard Brian’s voice. He whirled back around and crawled into the jeep, sliding over to Brian who was now seated with his head resting against the headrest, gasping and moaning. Justin carefully leaned over the center console and cupped Brian’s cheek, carefully turning his face towards his. 

“Bri? How’s your shoulders?” Justin asked as he carefully moved his fingers through Brian’s hair. 

Brian stared at him in confusion. “Huh? What’re you-- ahh!” 

Justin winced in sympathy and carefully eased himself closer to Brian, taking his hand when he saw Brian fumbling for his. “You shouldn’t move, Bri. Just stay still. Okay? You’ll only hurt yourself more.” 

“Mm fhnn,” Brian moaned, his teeth clenched together. 

“No you’re not,” Justin countered as he brushed a kiss against the corner of Brian’s mouth. “We were just in an accident and you’re hurt.” 

In the back of his mind, Justin could hear sirens and assumed that it meant an ambulance was on its way. He hadn’t called 911 himself, but considering the accident had taken place in a populated neighbourhood in the middle of the afternoon it wasn’t all the surprising. Hopefully there would be some police officers as well so that his father would be charged for something. He wanted his father to pay for what he had done to Brian, intentional or not. 

“Yer bleeding,” Brian mumbled, his grip tightening on Justin’s hand momentarily. 

It wasn’t until Brian mentioned it that Justin noticed the sticky blood trickling down his right cheek. Most likely it was a result of the window on his side shattering during the crash. 

“Don’t worry about it, Bri. It’s just bleeding a lot cause its on my face. Head wounds bleed a lot even when they’re not serious because all the blood vessels are so close to the surface,” Justin assured him quickly, offering his lover a wide toothy grin to further his point. “You probably won’t even be able to see the cut once it’s all cleaned up.” 

“Still hurt,” Brian told him as he sluggishly lifted his left hand and reached across his body to touch Justin’s chin. 

At the touch, Justin tilted his head just enough so that he could brush a kiss against the pad of Brian’s finger. “It’s not bad, Bri. I promise.” 

That earned him a lop-sided grin from Brian who shifted slightly in his seat. 

“Excuse me, sir, but you need to get out of the way.” 

Before he even had a chance to respond, Justin felt hands on his hips, carefully easing him out of the jeep. He saw the brief flash of panic in Brian’s eyes as their twined fingers slipped apart and flashed him a broad smile, hoping that it would calm him. It was the best he could offer given the circumstances. 

Justin was dimly aware of hearing his father’s voice, his tone tight and clipped. It was a tone Justin had heard many times growing up when his father was doing his best to control his temper, though he was not always successful. There was a very strong part of Justin that wanted his father to lose his temper and get in trouble with the police. At the same time Justin chastised himself or such thoughts. Regardless of how his father treated him or what he thought of him, the fact remained that Craig Taylor was his father and Justin couldn’t give up on him completely. 

“Do you have any idea what happened?” a female paramedic asked as she shone a light in his eyes, flicking it back and forth quickly. 

Justin jerked his head back, annoyed by the light and the fact that he couldn’t see what was going on with Brian because of it. “Me and Brian stopped at the sign. Then about halfway through the intersection, Brian flings his arm across my chest....Next thing I know the jeep’s....” 

It was only as he was forced to talk about what had happened and looked at the jeep’s final position that he realized just how far the vehicle had been flung as a result of the crash. The jeep had been launched the rest of the way across the intersection, spinning, so that it Brian’s side had been slammed into a thick oak tree. Justin couldn’t quite figure out how the jeep had managed to end up in that position but was relieved that Brian hadn’t been hurt more as a result. 

“Fuck!” 

At the sound of Brian’s startled curse, Justin shoved the EMT out of the way and sprinted in Brian’s direction. Brian was seated sideways on the passenger side seat, his feet dangling over the edge and clutching his right arm against his side with his opposite hand. Brian’s eyes met his instantly and Justin could see just how dazed he was. 

“What’s wrong with him?” Justin asked, his gaze trained on Brian even though he was speaking to the paramedics treating him. 

“From the looks of things a concussion and a broken collarbone,” one of them informed him. “Considering the shape of the jeep, I’m surprised that it’s not worse. He’s lucky.” 

“He’s Brian fucking Kinney,” Justin said fondly, reaching a hand out to cup Brian’s cheek. He smiled when Brian’s gaze focused on him, the dazed look momentarily gone. “Look like Gus isn’t the only one who’s gonna be taking a trip to the hospital today.” 

Leaning his head into Justin’s hand, his gaze never wavering. “You’re coming too.” 

“I’ll be there the whole time.” 

“With those scratches on your face that’s a certainty,” a female paramedic informed him, taking hold of Justin’s face and turning it towards him, breaking his gaze away from Brian’s. “In fact, I think you’re going to need stitches on that one near your temple.” 

“I’m fine,” Justin mumbled, turning his head out of her hold. “Do you think you can get Brian out of the jeep and to the hospital? That is your job, isn’t it?” 

“Don’t worry, kiddo, as soon as Josh gets the stretcher over here, we’ll get your friend on it and into the ambulance,” she assured him, gently easing him away from Brian so that Josh and the stretcher could squeeze in. “He’s not hurt bad, but they’ll probably make him stay a while to keep an eye on his concussion. Possibly overnight.” 

“No fucking way,” Brian gasped as he was helped out of the jeep. “I’m not sleeping in some goddamned hard as nails bed when I’ve got a perfectly serviceable one at home. Bigger and with silk sheets. A nice blonde nursemaid too.” 

Justin snorted but didn’t say anything. Whatever fears he had about Brian’s well being were completely gone as a result of that comment. If Brian was already thinking about what would happen when they got home he was perfectly fine. Or rather, not hurt too badly because Brian was most definitely not fine. 

While Brian was being transferred to the stretcher then loaded into the ambulance, Justin made sure to remain in his line of sight the entire time. He could see that Brian was having a hard time keeping his temper under control. Being jostled and ordered around was not something that Brian Kinney took kindly to and having been around the ad exec when he had a minor cold, Justin knew just how awful a patient he was. 

“Hey, don’t forget to let Sunshine in,” Brian called as the two paramedics climbed in the back, leaving Justin standing alone on the pavement. “We’re not going anywhere unless he’s sitting in here next to me.” 

Since there was only the one ambulance, Justin had already known that he would be riding with them. Still, he couldn’t help but smile at Brian’s insistence that he be there with him. His smile didn’t last very long considering the right side of Brian’s face was still smeared with blood. It became slightly lop-sided as he climbed into the back of the ambulance, pausing only momentarily to glance over his shoulder at his father-- no, at Craig --who was busy talking to the police officers who were investigating the scene. 

The ride to the hospital was almost entirely uneventful. Justin sat near Brian’s left shoulder, alternatively smoothing his fingers through Brian’s hair or holding onto his hand when the paramedics started messing with his injured shoulder. At one point Justin was pretty sure he was going to end up with a broken hand as a result of Brian’s powerful grip. So Justin did what he could to distract his boyfriend by quietly murmuring his plans for when they returned to the loft in Brian’s ear. 

In the back of his mind, Justin couldn’t help but wonder what this would do to Brian’s tricking. Justin had broken his collarbone when he was ten and knew first hand just how painful Brian’s injury was. There was no way he’d be able to maintain his highly physical sex life when the slightest movement of his shoulder would cause immense amounts of pain. At the moment, Justin didn’t really care about any of that. As long as Brian was all right he didn’t care how long it was until they had sex again. 

Justin wasn’t forced away from Brian until the EMTs were taking him out of the ambulance. By the time he was able to hop out of the back, the stretcher that Brian was on was nearly at the entrance. Justin ran to catch up but was diverted by a nurse who took him even further away from Brian. 

“Can you please just tell me how he is?” Justin asked for what felt like the thousandth time as the nurse got the sutures ready for the cut on his temple. “The EMT said that he probably had a concussion and a broken collarbone. Is it the same or has he gotten worse?” 

“As far as I know, Mr. Kinney is fine. However, Mr. Lensen will more than likely want to keep him overnight to monitor his concussion,” Lexie, his nurse, said to him as she tilted his head to the side. She angled his head a bit more then added, “You have nothing to worry about. The two of you will be back home tomorrow morning if not sooner.” 

“I hope so,” Justin sighed, doing his best not to jerk his head out of her grasp as she began to stitch the wound close. 

“Oh my god! Justin!” 

“Hello, mother,” Justin deadpanned, wincing as the needle passed through his skin again. “Fancy meeting you here. How did you know I was here?” 

Jennifer crossed towards him, reaching out and retracting her hand a few times. “Your father. He told me about the accident. That you were in the other car. Are you all right, honey?” 

“Not that it’s any of your business, but I’m fine,” Justin informed her, his voice void of any emotion whatsoever. “No thanks to your husband. I knew that he never wished I was born, but I didn’t think he’d go through the trouble of actually wiping me off the face of the earth. But you tell him from me that he’ll never be rid of me. No matter what he tries to do I’ll always be Molly’s brother. I can always infect her with my queer germs. Make sure that he knows that. And make sure that he knows that I’ll never let him hurt Brian again. I will do whatever I have to in order to make sure that Brian isn’t hurt like this ever again. Am I making myself clear, Mrs. Taylor?” 

“Bu--” 

“I mean it!” Justin shouted, doing his best to keep his head stationary so that he wouldn’t get stabbed unnecessarily by the needle. “I don’t care what happens to me, but he’s not going to do anything to Brian.” 

An intense silence filled the trauma room as Lexie finished the stitches. Justin kept his gaze on his mother the entire time, his eyes never wavering in their angry glare. Whatever family ties he’d felt towards Jennifer and Craig Taylor had died in the instant he’d realized that it was the man who had been his father that was responsible for the accident. 

“All right, Justin, you’re free to go,” Lexie said as she began clearing up her instruments. “Since I’m assuming you’re going down the hall to where Mr. Kinney is, I’ll just send your paperwork down there.” 

Justin gave her a lop-sided smile. “Thanks. What room is Brian in?” 

“Trauma room 3.” 

Justin quickly slid off the gurney and purposely made a wide circle around Jennifer as he moved to the exit. “I’ll be by on Wednesday afternoon to pick up Molly, Mrs. Taylor. Have a nice weekend.”


	16. Glimmering Sunshine

The Demerol weren’t working fast enough. The entire right side of his body was throbbing and the slightest movement set off a painful surge starting around his shoulder and spreading to most of his abdomen. Unfortunately, the sharp pains were making it impossible for him to relax in any way. He was entirely too coherent for his liking and would have preferred the almost drugged-like haze from earlier. 

“I’m not fuckin’ staying,” Brian ground out, glaring at his doctor. “I’m goin’ home and that’s all there is to it.” 

“Now, Mr. Kinney--” 

Brian’s angry glare silence the doctor in his tracks. 

Momentarily, at least. 

The clipboard still in his right hand, Dr. Lensen crossed his arms over his chest. “Regardless of what you may think, Mr. Kinney, you were in a serious accident this afternoon. As a result, you have a broken collarbone and a moderate concussion not to mention all the minor bruises and lacerations. And to ensure that you don’t end up slipping into a coma, you are going to stay here overnight so that you can be monitored and remain comatose free.” 

Brian groaned inwardly at the doctor’s shrewd negotiation tactics. Even if he didn’t buy it, Brian knew that Justin would never let him out of the hospital when he heard that. Justin would listen to the doctor’s every dictate and since he was unable to say no to the blonde, he’d be stuck in the hospital until he was given the all clear. 

“Brian!” 

At the sound of Justin’s voice, Brian perked up. His upper body was more or less immobilized so he couldn’t turn towards his lover, but within seconds Justin was in his line of sight. The instant that he set eyes on the artist, Brian felt his rage boil. Much of what had happened directly after the crash was hazy and he knew that he probably never would remember it so he wasn’t prepared for the sight that greeted him. All around Justin’s right eye and temple was a massive bruise centered around a stitched up gouge. There were a few other scratches on the right side of his face, but nothing else as bad as the one with the stitches. 

“Hey,” Brian murmured, managing a lop-sided smile as Justin rushed around the doctor to his side. 

“Hey, gorgeous,” Justin greeted as he leaned over to brush a kiss against Brian’s lips. “You’re looking better than the last time I saw you.” 

The drugs finally seemed to be taking effect because Brian was beginning to feel wonderfully hazy. “You look worse, Sunshine. How’s your head?” 

“Fine. Barely hurts at all,” Justin said, absently running the fingertips of his right hand a hairsbreadth from his temple. “What about you? Did you get a clean bill of health yet?” 

“Talk to the doc,” Brian sighed, relaxing back into the thin pillows as much as he was able when Justin began to run a hand over his upper arm. 

Without any prompting, Lensen repeated his spiel for Justin. Brian simply tuned it out, already aware of what his fate would be. Instead of paying attention, he watched Justin. Watched his reactions to Lensen’s diagnosis and his mannerisms. From his vantage point, he could see none of the damage that had been done to the right side of Justin’s face, creating an almost Jekell and Hyde appearance. When Justin took his bottom lip between his teeth and started worrying it, Brian knew that the good doctor had gotten to the coma threat. 

“So you just need someone to wake Brian up about once every hour?” Justin asked, pulling Brian from his contemplations. 

“Well yes, but--” 

“I can do that,” Justin interrupted him. “And I can promise you that Brian will be a much more agreeable patient at home. He’ll be calmer, his stress level will be a lot lower which will keep his blood pressure down and make his recovery quicker.” 

Brian was floored by what Justin was saying. It was the last thing that he had expected. The only problem was that the medication was finally starting to take effect, muddling his senses. Still, Brian focused all of his concentration on following the conversation that he had never thought to happen. 

“I can assure you, Mr. Taylor, that it would be best for Mr. Kinney to remain here overnight so that he can be properly monitored,” Dr. Lensen protested heatedly. 

“And I can assure you, that what is best for Brian is to get out of here,” Justin replied with a calmness the doctor lacked. Justin’s face was tilted away from him so he couldn’t see his exact expression, but he could almost guarantee that there was a devilish smirk on the blonde’s lips. “Brian is the world’s worst patient. He’ll drive your staff insane, make you want to pull your hair out or you’ll end up going grey before the night is over. I know how to deal with Brian so just give me whatever instructions you think I’ll need and I’ll take him home.” 

Even though he tried his best not to, Brian knew that he faded out for a few moments because he was suddenly aware of hearing Sally’s voice alongside Justin’s. 

“Geez, what higher power did you and Brian piss off this weekend? Did you not fuck enough or something?” 

“Very cute, Sal,” Justin returned, his voice coming from just to Brian’s left. “If you’re gonna be like that I’m just gonna call Ted and he can drive us home.” 

“Don’t get so testy, Taylor, I’ll drive you home,” Sally was quick to jump in. “Besides, you know if you call Ted he’ll call Emmett who’ll tell Michael who’ll talk to Deb and before you know it you have the whole clan down here because you know someone will tell Mel and Lindz about what happened.” 

It didn’t really surprise Brian that Justin hadn’t called anyone but Sally at that point. The insane ex-cheerleader was the only one in their little group that hadn’t been a member before him. Sally was Justin’s friend first and then her allegiance was devoted to everyone else. The same as it was with him and Michael. Or at least had been before the other man’s jealousy got the better of him. Deep down, Brian knew that things would be all right between him and Michael, it just might take time. 

“Bri, you awake?” Justin murmured in his ear as he moved a hand gently through his hair. 

“Not by choice,” he grumbled, forcing his eyes open enough to allow some light to seep past the heavy lids. 

Justin leaned over and brushed a kiss against his temple. “Well get used to it ‘cause this is going to be happening all night.” 

“You’re enjoying this too much,” Brian informed him, opening his eyes more so that he could clearly see Justin’s face. “When are we going home?” 

“As soon as Lexie comes in with your release papers,” Justin assured him, his smile hindered only slightly by the bruising on the right side of his face. “So while Sally goes outside to wait for her, I’m gonna help you get dressed.” 

For the first time Brian became aware of the fact that he was naked except for his boxers under the starchy hospital blanket. He was dimly aware of hearing Justin and Sally arguing while he attempted to figure out what had happened to his clothes. Brian had a feeling that the clothes he’d put on that morning were no longer wearable and if so he couldn’t figure out what Justin expected him to wear since he doubted that Justin had left the hospital to go get him a change of clothes. 

“She picked up the dry cleaning on her way over,” Justin explained before Brian could even ask the question. “It won’t be the most comfortable thing to go home in, but at least you’ll be the best dressed accident victim.” 

True to his word, the clothes Justin appeared with moments later were a pair of black Armani slacks and a white Gucci button-down. At the very least Brian knew that the shirt would go on easily. Or would have had his limbs been more co-operative. Even though he tried his best, it was Justin who did most of the work, steering his arms in the proper position, being extremely careful with his right one. 

“It almost looks like you’re wearing a gun holster,” Justin commented as he buttoned up the shirt. “Minus the gun, of course.” 

Brian smirked slightly and rolled his eyes. “I still don’t get how this thing is supposed to work.” 

“It keeps the bone stationary so that it can heal properly,” Justin responded automatically as he carefully replaced the sling and got Brian’s arm situated in it. “You don’t want to end up with a hunched back do you?” 

That time Brian reminded silent, choosing to glare at the blonde instead. During the past few minutes, Brian had gone from feeling light headed to having a difficult time keeping his eyes opened. The fact that his shoulder no longer hurt quite as much was probably an indication that the medication was working. 

“You feeling okay?” Justin asked, concern obvious as he cupped Brian’s face in his hands. 

Brian blinked owlishly, attempting to clear his vision. Without thinking he started to move forward to lean his forehead against Justin’s, but stopped at the burning pain that laced through his entire body. Justin helped him to sit up, relieving the pressure on his shoulder but not ending the pain completely. 

“Yeah, no doing that for a while,” Justin chastised, smoothing Brian’s hair back from his face. “You gotta try and keep your upper body still for the next little while. The brace will only do so much.” 

Even though he was in extreme amounts of pain, Brian still managed to glare at him as Justin pulled away to help him with his shoes. “As soon as I have the energy I’m gonna do something that will wipe that smug look off your face.” 

“It’ll take more than you having the energy. You’re gonna be hurting for a little while so I’ll doubt you’ll be able to do anything worthwhile for at lest a few days,” the blonde told him, running his hand up and down the back of Brian’s calf for a moment before releasing his leg so that he could reach for his other shoe. 

“You never know, I could surprise you,” Brian informed him, yawning loudly at the end. 

Of course, he knew that Justin was fully aware that he didn’t have the energy to do anything of the sort. Remaining conscious was enough of a challenge for him. So he allowed Justin to deal with the nurse, pulling him from his daze only long enough to sign his name at the bottom of the release form. Then he was ushered into a wheelchair, managing a necessary protest before allowing Justin to steer him out of the hospital to where Sally had her car waiting for them. 

He didn’t remember much of the ride home except for the fact that he was sitting lengthwise across the backseat, resting comfortably between Justin’s legs, his back against the teen’s chest. Between the two of them they managed to find a position that was comfortable enough to last the trip from the hospital back to the loft, Sally’s driving capabilities notwithstanding. 

“Oh shit.” 

At the sound of Justin’s startled curse, Brian struggled to open his eyes even though he didn’t remember closing them. 

“Wuz goin’ on?” 

“Mel and Lindz are here,” Justin sighed, pressing a kiss to his shoulder. “Guess we didn’t get to their place fast enough.” 

Brian groaned, turning his head to his left so that his nose brushed against Justin’s. “Make them go away. I just want to go to sleep.” 

“You know that’s not gonna be happening,” Justin told him. “No real sleeping for at least another twelve hours.” 

“Slavedriver,” Brian grumbled as he carefully sat up straight and moved forward a bit so that Justin could wiggle out from behind him. 

This time Justin’s lips were against the back of his neck, the kiss lingering. “Quit complaining. I got you home, didn’t I?” 

“Thank you for that,” Brian mumbled. “I probably woulda ended up killing someone before the night was over.” 

“Tell me something I don’t know,” Justin chuckled. 

Between Justin and Sally, Brian got out of the small car and into the building without any mishaps. Sally left them there, making some excuse about a dinner date with Irina. She gave Brian and Justin each a kiss on the cheek and then the two were alone, at least for the elevator ride up to the loft. 

For the most part Brian leaned against Justin for support, the Demerol making him less than stable on his feet. He found it quite humourous that the pain meds were wreaking such havoc on his equilibrium considering how many drugs he took on a normal basis. It should have been no problem which confused the hell out of him. If he’d had the energy, he would have attempted to figure it out, but he didn’t so he wasn’t going to. 

“I-I-I-I have become comfortably numb,” Brian sang off key in Justin’s ear. “Hello, hello, hello. Is there anybody in there?” 

Justin started to laugh, turning his head towards Brian’s. “Yeah, you’re definitely going to bed when we get home. For an hour, anyway. What the hell are you singing anyway?” 

“Weren’t you listening, Sunshine? Comfortably numb. I-I-I-I have become comfortably numb,” Brian repeated in an off key tone. 

“Am I supposed to know that song?” Justin asked him, pulling him away to open the gate on the gate on the elevator. “‘Cause, I gotta tell ya, I think you’ve lost your mind.” 

Brian rolled his eyes and followed Justin onto the small foyer in front loft door. “I haven’t lost my mind. It’s Pink Floyd. I grew up listening to these guys.” 

“Which explains why I’ve never heard of them,” Justin countered as he unlocked the heavy metal door. “I’m of the popular music age.” 

“Poor, poor Sunshine,” Brian lamented as he stepped into the loft after Justin opened the door. “Guess I’m going to have to educate you while I’m stuck on house arrest for the next few days.” 

“Brian, where have you-- Oh my god!” 

Tracking the sound of her voice, Brian found Lindsay standing in the middle of what passed for his living room. On the couch, Melanie sat holding Gus who seemed to be in good health considering Lindsay’s panic the night before. 

“What happened to you?” Lindsay demanded, rushing towards Brian and taking his face in her hands. “Justin, sweety, you’re face! What happened while you were gone?” 

Justin laughed bitterly, stepping out behind Brian and helping him out of his coat. “Actually it happened a few blocks from your place.” 

“That was your jeep?” Melanie cried in shock. She rose up off the couch and crossed over to where the rest of them were standing. “How the hell did that happen?” 

“My dad rammed us in the middle of the intersection,” Justin answered for them as he began to steer Brian towards the bedroom. “I’m just gonna go help Brian into some sweats. We’ve got a long night ahead of us.” 

“Why, what’s wrong?” Lindsay called after them. 

Justin didn’t answer immediately and Brian figured that they could wait until he was in something more comfortable. He had made his public appearance as the stylish accident victim and was ready to be the bummy invalid. It wasn’t as though he’d be leaving the loft for a while. At least not for another day. One that he would probably spend most of sleeping. 

Of course, he should have known that Lindsay would have left it at that. Justin was helping him out of the sling when she appeared at the top of the steps. “Would someone please explain to me what happened? How did the two of you end up at the same intersection as Justin’s father when you weren’t even supposed to be in the city this weekend?” 

Brian winced as Justin accidentally jarred his shoulder as he removed the sling. Justin winced in sympathy and mumbled a quick, “Sorry,” before tossing the sling down onto the bed. 

“There’s really nothing to tell, Lindz,” Justin told her as he began to unbutton Brian’s shirt. “By some totally bizarre twist of fate, Brian and I ended up at that intersection at the exact same moment my dad went speeding through it. You probably saw the jeep on your way over here so I’m sure you can figure out the rest. Can you go make some coffee? I’ve gotta say up all night and I’m gonna need the caffeine.” 

“Why do you have to stay up all night?” Lindsay demanded, not moving an inch from where she stood hovering, merely crossing her arms over her chest. “Do you have a concussion?” 

Waiting for Justin to finish removing his shirt, Brian glanced over at Lindsay. “No, I do. Justin convinced the good doctor that it would be better for his health if I came home.” 

“I’m sure,” Lindsay snorted. 

Brian shot a mocking glare in her direction. “How’s Gus doing?” 

That instantly diverted Lindsay’s attention, a smile instantly appearing on her face. “He’s better. His temperature’s down and he’s sleeping better. Eats like a machine too.” 

By the time both of them had changed into sweats, the coffee was well on its way to being made while Melanie and Lindsay were back in the living room with Gus who was awake and fussy. While Justin played hostess and got coffee for everyone, Brian made his way over to the living room area, carefully easing himself down on the overstuffed chair. 

“You look like shit, Bri,” Melanie chuckled, shifting Gus slightly in her arms. “Looks like your father-in-law did a real number on you.” 

“Ha ha ha,” Brian deadpanned, glaring in her direction. His eyes softened when he gazed down at Gus. “He looks fine to me.” 

Melanie put on an extra cheery face which had Brian instantly on edge. “Well, you know, one day life and death, the next....” 

“But it makes you realize how important it is to be prepared,” Lindsay responded immediately as she accepted a cup of coffee from Justin. 

“For what?” Justin asked, taking Gus in exchange for Melanie’s coffee. He then made his way over to Brian, sitting down on the arm of the chair so that Brian could reach his left hand up to stroke the infant’s cheek. 

Lindsay glanced nervously at Melanie for a moment before answering. “For like last night. Melanie wasn’t allowed go into the exam room because she wasn’t one of Gus’ parents.” 

“The fuck she’s not,” Brian responded automatically. “What asshole made that rule up? You’re Gus’ mom.... His other one, anyway.” 

“Justin, don’t you want some coffee?” Lindsay asked, half rising off the couch before Brian’s arched eyebrow stopped her. 

“What are you getting at?” 

The munchers gave each other nervous looks before Lindsay was silently nominated as their spokes person. “It’s something we talked about before Gus was born. Only we never got around to doing it.... Melanie would like to petition for second parent adoption.” 

“What’s that’s that?” Justin asked, catching the new nervous woman off guard. The teen’s attention had been so focused on Gus that they probably hadn’t thought he was paying attention. Brian, on the other hand, knew that he’d heard ever word. 

“Well I’m not Gus’ biological parent like Lindsay or Brian so I need to file papers to make me his legal guardian,” Melanie said nervously. Knowing what was coming next, Brian could understand her nervousness. 

“Only Melanie can’t get the process going until you sign papers agreeing to give up your parental rights,” Lindsay said to him, her eyes darting about the room. 

Brian had expected as much from them. And he was all prepared to agree until Justin’s outburst. 

“No way! He’s Gus’ dad!” Justin cried indignantly, clutching at Gus protectively. 

“No one’s denying that,” Lindsay assured him quickly. She then looked over at Brian, meeting his eyes for the first time. “You know you’ll always be a part of his life. The same way we’re a part of each others.” 

Justin shook his head and even out of the corner of his eye, Brian could see the dark look in his eyes. “No. Brian is Gus’ dad. You can’t do that to him. To either of them.” 

“Justin,” Melanie tried to shush him. “This really doesn’t have anything to do with you.” 

“The fuck it doesn’t,” Brian growled, flashing the two women an angry look. “Justin is just as much Gus’ dad as Mel is his mom. He has every say in how this goes.” 

The intercom chose that exact moment to go off, interrupting the uncomfortable silence that followed. 

“I talked to Sally, Kinney. I know you’re both up there so open the goddamned door,” Deb’s shrill voice leaked from the speaker.


	17. Glimmering Sunshine

“You can’t be very comfortable squished back there,” Brian mumbled, half asleep from where he sat between Justin’s legs. The two were sitting lengthwise across the couch, Justin leaning against the arm of it and Brian using the blonde’s chest to support his upper body. 

Justin shook his head, pressing a kiss to Brian’s left shoulder. “I’m fine, Bri. You’re just looking for an excuse to not watch the movie.” 

“What are you talking about? I like this movie,” Brian protested sleepily. “It’s just that if I fall asleep watching this there’s no way in hell you’re gonna wake me up till the drugs wear off.” 

“Don’t worry, I’ll survive,” Justin assured him. “There’s five movies DVDs in there. It’s enough to keep me occupied for a while. Just get some rest.” 

Hitting the play button on the remote, Justin dropped it onto the carpet below and wound his now free arm around Brian’s torso. Knowing that neither of them were in the right frame of mind to pay attention to Fight Club, Justin opted for The Full Monty. True, there were no good looking guys in the movie, but it was still a great movie to watch. 

As he had expected, before the entire group of strippers had been chosen, Brian was out cold. Momentarily ignoring the action on screen, Justin focused on Brian and the slight wheezing of the older man’s breathing. Justin had noticed the odd sound of Brian’s breathing the first night he had stayed at the loft and right from the start had thought it to be adorable. Of course, he would never say anything like that to Brian, though he had been tempted on many occasions. 

Towards the end of the movie, Justin found himself nodding off as well. He’d been awake for well over twenty-four hours with only a few catnaps during the hour long periods that Brian had been allowed to sleep the night before. And even though normally he wouldn’t have a problem staying up for such long periods of time, the events of the previous day had been incredibly taxing emotionally. 

Without a doubt, however, the topping on the cake had been Lindsay and Melanie’s unwanted visit to the loft. Compared to them, Debbie’s arrival a short while later hadn’t even made an impression to the audacity of the pair. They had practically attacked Brian who had been in no condition to even consider his parental rights to Gus and it was unfathomable to Justin how Lindsay and Mel hadn’t realized that on their own. Even Debbie had caught on to the fact that Brian should have been resting and recouping rather than being bombarded by demands from a pair of anxious mothers. She had been the one to kick them out of the loft and then set about making the boys a home cooked meal. 

It still shocked Justin to no end was Brian’s conviction that his role in Gus’ life was just as important as Melanie’s. Up until the day before Justin would have never considered himself to be more than just the father’s boyfriend. He wasn’t even eighteen yet. It was a frightening turn of events considering a few months ago there hadn’t been a single thing he could call his own. Now he had a family, friends, a job... an entire life. 

Justin was woken from a surprising sound sleep when someone threw open the loft door. Turning his head so that he could glance over the back of the couch, Justin knew that he probably shouldn’t have been too surprised that it was Michael making his way across the loft. 

“Where’s Brian?” Michael demanded as he crossed over to the couch. 

“He’s sleeping,” Justin yawned. “The same thing I was doing until you showed up. What are you doing here? How’d you get in?” 

“I borrowed Lindsay’s key,” Michael said absently. “She’s the one that called me. And from what she said, I have this strange feeling that she wouldn’t have even known if she and Mel hadn’t been here when you got back.” 

Justin pressed his face against the back of the couch, groaning quietly. “Did you think that maybe it was because neither of us were up to dealing with company?” he mumbled into the white cushion. “We were in an accident, after all.” 

“Which is exactly why you should have called all of us. We’re family and, besides that, Brian’s my best friend. I should have been the first one you called, not your rainbow-haired buddy,” Michael whined. 

“I called Sally because she has a car,” Justin protested, lifting his head up to gaze at the older man. “You don’t. Besides, at the time Sally seemed like the best candidate to come get us ‘cause I figured that she wouldn’t tell anyone else. I made a mistake thinking she could keep her mouth shut, though. Now could you please go? Brian’s sleeping off his concussion and I would really like to join him in oblivion as soon as possible. You know the way out.” 

Michael smacked him upside the head as he crossed around to the front of the couch. “If Brian has a concussion you’re not supposed to let him sleep. Even I know that.” 

Rolling his eyes, Justin turned his face momentarily into Brian’s hair before glaring over at Michael. “Which is why this place sounds like a coffee shop. We’ve been up all night. And now that Brian’s got the all clear we’re sleeping. Trying to, anyway.” 

“And who decided that Brian was all right?” Michael demanded. “Lindsay said that Brian refused to stay at the hospital so there hasn’t been a doctor to give him the all clear, has there?” 

“I’m fine, Mikey,” Brian mumbled, his body and face still relaxed as though asleep. “I’m twenty-four hours in the clear which means that my head is fine and I can sleep. Now quit playing the role of the over-protective best friend and let me sleep. I have a meeting tomorrow morning and need to make up for yesterday’s adventure. So quit your bickering with Justin and let me sleep.” 

“But, Brian, I was worried about you,” Michael cried out. “I mean you disappear for Thanksgiving weekend and then the day before you’re supposed to come back it turns out that you’re already back in the Pitts and your Jeep got totaled with you and Justin in it.” 

“Shit happens,” Brian yawned, turning his head into Justin’s shoulder which the blonde knew only angered his friend more from what Justin could see. “How about I swing by the Big Q tomorrow when I take my lunch and we’ll go somewhere?” 

Instantly, the comic book fanatic perked up. “It’s been a while since we’ve done that.” 

Once he was assured that he would get his best friend time with Brian, Justin was able to convince Michael to leave them in peace. Of course by then Justin was wide awake even after Brian had slipped back into a deep sleep. And even though he was pretty sure that his left leg was going to fall asleep, Justin didn’t mind. He was simply relieved that he was still able to hold onto Brian. There had been a few moments, just after he’d realized that they were in an accident, that he’d been terrified that Brian was dead. Even after he’d seen that Brian hadn’t been hurt too badly, he could do nothing to erase the fear from his mind. 

So he held Brian long into the night, watching two and a half of movies that were loaded in the DVD player and even skipped dinner because it would have meant moving and waking Brian up. Eventually, sleep overcame him as well and he dozed off, his head resting against the back of the couch. 

By the time Monday morning dawned the pair were starting to feel more in touch with the world. Justin, however, was still attempting to decide whether that was a good thing or a bad thing. It was good in the sense that Brian was no longer groggy and in constant pain, but it also meant that he would not be able to talk the ad exec into staying home for the day. He honestly felt that Brian needed another day to recoup. Justin knew that there would be no keeping Brian at home when he had a meeting. Even if it were possible for Ryder or someone else to cover for him, Brian would rise from his deathbed to make a presentation. 

“You do realize that you’re going to have to change your plans with Mikey, right?” Justin asked as they rode the elevator down to the main floor. 

Brian stared at him in confusion, his brows furrowing. “What the hell are you talking about? I don’t have any plans with Mikey.” 

“You said you were going to pick him up at lunch so you could hang out for a bit,” Justin clarified, curious as to just how conscious Brian had been the previous afternoon. 

“When did I say that?” Brian demanded. “I haven’t seen Mikey since Wednesday.” 

Justin laughed quietly. “Well I hate to break it to you, but you set up a lunch date with him yesterday when he came to make sure I hadn’t killed you. Not that it really matters because you’re going to have to alter plans because you won’t be driving anywhere for a while.” 

Which earned him an arched eyebrow from the taller man. “Oh I won’t?” 

“The insurance guy who brought the rental car over yesterday chose another jeep with a stick shift,” Justin informed him, grinning from ear to ear. “You can’t drive stick right now ‘cause your right arm is out of commission.” 

“Keep it up, Sunshine, and you’ll be the only one driving your stick for a long time,” Brian countered with a smirk. 

And even though he knew that he should be enjoying the situation as much as he was-- at least in Brian’s presence --Justin could do nothing to wipe the smile from his face. A smile which only grew when they stepped out of the building and Brian set eyes on the pristine white Jeep waiting for them. 

“Oh no way! No fucking way!” Brian growled, refusing to cross the street to where the Jeep was parked. “It’s a fucking pansy-ass jeep.” 

Justin rolled his eyes and pushed Brian forward by placing his hand on the small of his back. “Quit bitching. It’s a perfectly serviceable jeep.” 

“A white jeep. I don’t drive white vehicles,” Brian insisted. 

“Well you won’t be driving it,” Justin reminded him. “I will.” 

“Until I call my guy when I get into work and get myself another car,” Brian said as he fumbled to open the passenger side door while holding his briefcase in the same hand. “I’ll keep this one so you can have something to drive, but I’m getting myself another car.” 

The decision didn’t surprise Justin in the least. He had known the instant the guy had shown up with the car just before dinner on Saturday that Brian would flip when he saw it. That was the main reason he hadn’t told Brian about the jeep beforehand. 

“You do realize that I’m going to make you pay for springing this on me, don’t you?” Brian said non-chalantly as Justin pulled the jeep away from the curb. “You’ve know about this for two days so don’t try to tell me that this wasn’t planned.” 

Justin only grinned over at him and shifted gears, steering the jeep towards downtown Pittsburgh and Ryder Agency. 

“So how was the rest of your weekend?” Sally asked as she approached Justin’s locker. “Did you guys survive the Deb attack which I really didn’t plan but you know how I can’t keep my big mouth shut and it just slipped out,” Sally rambled towards the end, smiling apologetically in his direction. 

“I never did thank you for that,” Justin smirked at her. “But, as frightening as it is to think of, Deb showing up was actually a good thing. She got the merry munchers to back off Brian and let him get some rest.” 

Sally pouted and leaned up against the locker next to Justin’s. “Don’t tell me that I missed another Brian/Melanie bout. Those things are fun to watch.” 

“This one was just weird,” Justin said absently, still not entirely sure what he had witnessed Saturday afternoon. “Lindz and Mel were freaking out ‘cause of something that happened the night before at the hospital which I completely get. I guess when Lindz was pregnant, Brian said that he’d sign his parental rights over to Mel. He didn’t want a kid then, so it was no big deal, but... but now they’re calling him on it. And I don’t blame them for wanting to protect themselves and Gus like that-- the nurse wouldn’t let Mel go back with Lindz and the doctor --but I just don’t get why they thought it was a good thing to attack Brian about it when he was so out of it.” 

“Ouch,” Sally mumbled, holding onto Justin’s binder so that he could pull his history textbook out of his backpack. “So did Brian agree to give up Gus?” 

Justin paused momentarily, still confused by what had taken place in the loft. “He never got around to it. Deb showed up before. But he.... All weekend Brian’s been insisting that I have just as much as a say in what goes on about the parental thing because I’m Gus’ dad too.” 

“He says your Gus’ dad,” Sally marveled, a huge grin appearing on her face. “Do you have any idea how amazing that is?” 

“How about frightening,” Justin corrected her. “I’m seventeen years old. Don’t get me wrong, I love Gus more than anything, but to be a dad.... It’s kinda freaky.” 

Sally nodded her head in agreement. “I don’t doubt that for a second, but look at it from Brian’s point of view. He thinks of you as Gus’ other daddy which means he trusts you. A lot. It also means he wants you to stick around for a while because he wouldn’t set you up to be Gus’ dad only to take that away. Brian wouldn’t do that to Gus or to you.” 

“He was probably just saying it because he was full of Demerol at the time,” Justin tried as he slipped his backpack on over his shoulders. 

Sally rolled her eyes and smacked him none too gently on the shoulder. “What the fuck are you on? I know Brian well enough to know that he would never say anything he didn’t mean. Drunk, high, sober, it doesn’t matter. Brian only ever says what he means with no sugar-coating of the truth. Anyone who’s ever set foot on Liberty could tell you the same thing. Brian may be an asshole, but he’s an honest one. That’s what makes him an asshole in their minds. Yeah, there are some other things that make him an asshole, but that’s a big part of it. So quit the panic attack and simply enjoy the fact that Brian has all but called you his partner.” 

At the same time, both teens looked up, awaiting a shower of fire or any other sign of the apocalypse. 

It didn’t really surprise Justin that Brian was nowhere to be seen when he got home after school. When he’d called the older man at lunch and been told that Brian had his own vehicle and not to worry about him. In Brian-speak, it meant that he was working late and didn’t know when he’d be home. Usually such a statement would have meant that there was the possibility that he was going out tricking, but at the moment even Brian was willing to admit that his tricking was temporarily on hold. 

However, when it got to be eight o’clock and there was on sign of Brian, Justin began to worry. The worry increased when he called Brian’s office and got Cynthia’s voice asking him to leave a message. Justin managed to put a damper on his unease by convincing himself that Brian was probably on his way home which gave him another half hour of calm time. 

So when the clock in the kitchen read 8:45 it was taking everything Justin had not to head out into the falling snow in search of his elusive lover. Instead he busied himself going over the copy of Romeo and Juliet he’d taken out of the library in preparation for his audition on Wednesday. He’d watched the movie three times over the weekend, but figured it was better to actually read the play at least once beforehand. 

Romeo was just lamenting his role as Fortune’s fool when he heard Brian fumbling at the door. Not wanting to hover, Justin remained on the chaise while Brian more or less stumbled into the loft, a bottle of Jim Beam in his right hand. 

“Hey there, Sonnyboy,” Brian drawled as he staggered across the kitchen to where Justin was reclined. “Say hello to the boys.” 

It didn’t take a genius to figure out that Brian was drunk. Moreso than Justin had seen him in a long while if ever. Setting the book down on the floor, Justin rose slowly to his feet and moved towards Brian and managed to extract the half drunk bottle of whiskey as he was raising it to his lips. 

“Brian, what happened?” Justin demanded as he steered Brian out of the kitchen and towards the bedroom. “What on earth possessed you to go and get this drunk? You shouldn’t be drinking like this when you’re still taking Demerol.... Look who I’m talking to. Of course you’re going to get drunk when you’re on pain medication. You’re Brian fucking Kinney.” 

Brian continued to mumble a spew of unintelligible words as Justin helped him down onto the bed and began to remove his shoes. It was complete nonsense what Brian was saying, talking about sports, unions and other things that he knew Brian didn’t give a shit about. 

“I never shoulda been a family man,” Brian giggled, sinking his fingers into Justin’s hair at the back of his head and lifting it so that he could see the blonde’s face. “He’s right, Sunshine. We Kinney men aren’t meant to have families.” 

“Except that you do have a family,” Justin countered as he lifted his hands to cup Brian’s face. “You have Deb and Mikey and Lindz and the whole rest of the gang.... You also have Gus and me. We’re all your family and, I hate to break it to you, but we’re not gonna be giving you up anytime soon.” 

To his ultimate surprise, Brian sniffled and leaned forward enough so that his forehead was resting against Justin’s. When he felt a dampness splash against his cheeks he immediately wound his arms around Brian’s torso, being incredibly careful of his shoulder. 

“Whatever happened, Bri, it doesn’t matter,” Justin murmured against his cheek. “Just leave the past where it belongs.” 

“It’s not as simple as that, Sunshine,” Brian countered, pulling back entirely from the teen and snaking his left hand through his hair. “It’s always there. Just waiting to bite you in the ass.” 

Knowing that he wouldn’t be able to convince Brian otherwise at the moment, Justin instead focused his attention on getting the older man out of his clothes and into bed. He’d deal with it later, when Brian was sober. Justin would also figure out just what the hell had happened in the time between Brian leaving the office and arriving at the loft.


	18. Glimmering Sunshine

It was a dull ache in his shoulder that brought Brian reluctantly back to consciousness. Trying to move only initiated a sharp stab of pain directly over the site of the break. The movement instantly startled Justin who let out a sleepy moan and snuggled against him as he always did when he was waking up.

“Need a pill?” Justin mumbled against Brian’s good shoulder, his warm breath making the ad exec’s arm tingle.

Even though he knew that he was in need of another pain pill, Brian shook his head. “I just need to sit up. I think I slipped down during the night.”

With Justin’s help, Brian was able to sit up higher, depleting the pressure on his injured shoulder. He groaned, relaxing against the upraised pillows while Justin got himself situated next to him. From the pounding of his head, Brian knew that he’d had far too much to drink the night before. Now that he was more alert, Brian realized that he hadn’t really drunk all that much with his old man the night before. That he had been knocked on his ass by a few pain pills.

“Do I get to know what’s so funny?” Justin asked as he pushed Brian’s bangs away from his forehead.

“You had to be there,” Brian murmured, unconsciously leaning into Justin’s touch. “What time did I get back?”

Justin pursed his lips, obviously trying to remember back. “Just after Romeo murdered Tybalt.”

“That’s right. Today’s the day you get the lead in Romeo and Juliet,” Brian drawled, enjoying the flush that spread all over the blonde’s body. Then he frowned. “Fuck Romeo. Go for Mercutio. You’re enough of a drama queen to pull that role off.”

“Ha fucking ha,” Justin grumbled as he stood up on the mattress.

Before he could move away, Brian reached out and grabbed hold of Justin’s calf, keeping him in place. “What’s wrong with you, Sunshine?”

When Justin showed no signs of answering, Brian tugged on his calf, pulling the blonde back towards him. Without uttering a single word, Brian coaxed Justin down so that he was straddling his lap. There was no resistance in Justin’s body as he easily molded himself to Brian. Justin seemed oblivious to the fact that he was completely naked. 

It was a relief to Brian that over the past three months Justin had become so comfortable in his own skin. There had been a brief relapse after Damian had taken him from the diner. For a short time afterwards, Justin had tried to hide himself in layers of clothes. It hadn’t been a complete relapse. But whenever Justin had been on his own for the first week or so after the events in the condo, Brian would come home to find him fully attired in jeans, a long sleeve tee, socks with the duvet from the bed wrapped around him.

At that moment, Justin wasn’t even aware that he was naked, waiting instead for Brian to say his piece Except that Brian wasn’t too sure what to say because he wasn’t too sure what had set Justin off. The blonde had been smiling when he’d first woken up, but at the briefest mention of the play....

“Do you know whether or not you’re going to have to dress in drag for the ball at the Capulet mansion?” Brian asked, his left hand absently moving over Justin’s hip.

Despite his best efforts, the blonde cracked a smile at that. “I don’t even know if I’m going to be in the play so I don’t think I have to worry about that.... Are you sure you don’t need a pill?”

“I’ll live,” Brian brushed him off. “What I want to know is what’s bothering you. Did I do something stupid last night after I came home?”

Justin shook his head automatically, cupping Brian’s face in his hands. “No.... Well, no more than normal. You just kept mumbling things about not being a family man and a whole bunch of shit that I don’t even want to understand. But you’re not.... You won’t.... It sounded like....”

Knowing that Justin would get it out at his own speed, Brian continued to run his fingers over Justin’s side. He futilely wished that he could wrap both his arms around Justin, but except for careful embraces in the shower he was unable to wrap both his arms around the teen. It would be roughly six weeks before he could remove the sling, plus another two with the brace.

“You’re not going to give up Gus, are you?” Justin finally whispered, gazing nervously down at Brian.

“It’s too early to have this conversation,” Brian responded immediately, shifting uncomfortably.

“But you’re his dad. When he’s older he’s going to think that you didn’t want him,” Justin protested, holding onto Brian’s face to make sure that he didn’t turn away.

A part of Brian wanted to make a cutting remark and agree with what Justin had said. The only problem was the he couldn’t.

“I was there the night that he was born,” Justin continued, caressing Brian’s cheekbones with his thumbs. “I saw the way you looked at him. The way you held him. I didn’t even know you then but I could still tell that you loved Gus. More than anything.”

Brian didn’t bother to deny what Justin had said because they both knew that it was true. It sometimes frightened him just how much he did love Gus. When Lindsay had been pregnant, the fact that the baby was his hadn’t even registered. Not even when he’d felt Gus kicking against her stomach. It wasn’t until he’d held Gus in his hands that Brian felt the first inklings of what it was like to be a father. From the first moment of his life, Brian had known that he would do anything for his son.

After the disastrous meeting with his father the night before, Brian couldn’t help but wonder what Jack would do in his place. A problem Brian found the answer to very quickly. Jack wouldn’t have had to consider it for more than a second if someone had offered him the ability to sign away his parental rights.

“It might be better for Gus if I give Mel my rights,” Brian mumbled solemnly. “She’s the one who always wanted him there. I’m just....”

“His dad,” Justin said emphatically. “And not matter how much Mel loves Gus, it’s not going to chance the fact that you’re his father. She can’t take your place.”

Justin’s words remained with him throughout the day. There was no mistaking what the blonde’s opinion in the situation. If it were up to Justin, Brian wouldn’t even be considering complying with their verbal agreement and giving up his rights to Gus. One of the things Brian had learned early on was that Justin was very protective of what he considered to be his. The main reason for that had to do with the fact that Justin had never really had anything that was his. Brian could still vividly remember the way Justin had tried to stand guard over Gus even after Damian had slashed his arm and he’d been on the verge of collapse from shock.

Despite the twelve years difference in their ages, it was Justin who was the more mature. The more ready to be a father. If anything, Brian should have been signing over his parental rights to the young artist.

“Justin and I will be over around six. Tell Mel to have the papers ready.”

Brian held onto the receiver long after the dialtone had turned into a shrill beeping. The sound barely even registered in his mind. Even though he hadn’t exactly said the words, Brian had effectively just agreed to give up his son. Before the night was barely even begun he would be nothing more than an observer in Gus’ life.

“Grow a fucking pair, Kinney,” Brian grumbled, slamming the phone down hard enough so that the receiver bounced off the cradle. With a sweep of his hand, the phone went flying across the office, halted only by the length of the cable that connected it to the wall.

“Brian, are you all right?” Cynthia demanded as she burst into the office after the loud crash of the phone impacting off the floor.

“I’m fine,” Brian grumbled, releasing a loud breath and sitting back carefully so as not to cause himself further pain. “The phone slipped when I went to hang up.”

“Are you sure that you’re up for the presentation with McMurtry at two?” his assistant asked nervously, chewing delicately on her bottom lip.

The annoyed look Brian gave her was answer enough.

Smile firmly in place, Cynthia made a hasty retreat. Brian was tempted to make some biting remark, but ended up clenching his jaw instead, willing his nerves to calm. His resolve faltered slightly when he turned his chair and came face to face with a photograph of Justin and Gus, the two curled up sound asleep on the bed in the loft. Justin’s arm was wrapped around Gus, acting like a protective barrier as he held the infant against his chest.

Reaching out with his left hand, Brian traced both of their images with his index finger. The two most important people in his life.

Letting out a loud breath, Brian opened the top drawer of his desk and placed the framed photograph inside. He couldn’t allow himself to think about the chaos that was bound to erupt later in the day. Not when he had a job to do. If he managed to get McMurtry signed as well as a few other multi-million dollar accounts he had lined up for the next few weeks there was no way he couldn’t not make partner. Brian had pulled in more big accounts than any of the other executives consistently for the past three years and it was time that Ryder paid him his dues.

If he did make partner, he could do something he hadn’t in a long time-- longer than he could remember --and take a vacation in the summer. According to the DA, Damian’s trial would be starting up in June and Brian wanted to take Justin out of the city during it. A trip to Europe would be the perfect excuse. Every artist was supposed to make a pilgrimage to Italy at some point and Brian wanted to be there to experience it with Justin.

“Kip Thomas is here to see you,” Cynthia announced over the intercom. “He wants to go over the mock-ups with you before the presentation.”

Brian bounced his head against the back of his chair a few times in frustration before responding. “All right. Send him in.” He really didn’t want to have to deal with people until it was time for the presentation, but he knew that he would have no choice.

Steeling himself, Brian replaced his facade of the asshole adman. He wasn’t in the mood to deal with the fresh out of school executive-in-training. At times, Brian wanted nothing more than to wipe the smug smile off Kip’s face. The only reason he hadn’t was because he was amused watching him and the dynamic duo of Bob and Brad go at it. Once he got over that phase there would be a day of reckoning and he would put the younger man in his place.

“I was sorry to hear about your accident,” Kip said as soon as he stepped into the office, folders clutched in his hands.

Brian merely rolled his eyes in annoyance. “What’s to be sorry about? Some asshole ran a stop sign and smashed my jeep. Being sorry won’t change anything.”

“Touché,” Kip mumbled under his breath.

“Now what the fuck do you want?” Brian demanded, getting straight to the point. “We went over the mock-ups this morning. Nothing’s changed since then.

“I know,” Kip confirmed. “I just wanted your input on a few pressing matters.”

“There are no pressing matters,” Brian informed him, knowing full well what Kip was hinting at. “So unless you have something worthwhile to say, get out. Believe it or not, I have work to do.”

Caught off guard by his sudden dismissal, it was almost a full minute before Kip reacted. He staggered for a few moments and was only just turning to leave when a certain blonde zipped in past him, avoiding Kip’s line of sight. As Brian watched on in amusement, Justin all but slammed the door after him and hit the switch that would close the blinds over the glass wall which faced the hallway.

“Well this is a surprise,” Brian mused, unable to contain a grin at Justin’s obvious excitement. He quickly got in touch with Cynthia via the intercom and let her know that he wasn’t to be disturbed until ten minutes before the meeting. Then he turned his attention back to his hyperactive boyfriend. “Shouldn’t you be in class?”

“I got the part!” he cried, a wide smile splitting his features. “I’m Mercutio!”

Brian’s eyes widened momentarily and he immediately returned Justin’s smile, though no quite as brightly. “How do you know already? You just had the audition today.”

Justin bounced over to the desk, clearing a small spot in front of Brian’s chair and sitting down. “Because the director said that he hoped I didn’t have a problem dressing in drag because I was going to have to wear a haltertop and miniskirt in front of a lot of people. Today was the last day of auditions and I was the last one up for the part so I’m it.”

“In that case, I think a celebration is in order,” Brian grinned, grabbing hold of the front of Justin’s shirt and pulling him forward so that Justin had no choice but to abandon the desk in favour of Brian’s lap.

It took Justin a moment to get himself settled, but as son as he did, Brian felt himself relaxing for the first time since Justin had coaxed him out of bed. He reclined against the high backed leather chair, enjoying the feel of Justin’s fingers at his throat as they loosened his tie.

“You are entirely too tense,” Justin informed him as he turned his attention from the tie to the buttons of his designer shirt. “Did you take your pills?”

Brian nodded his head absently, sighing in contentment as Justin began to move his lips over the mottled bruise on his right shoulder, near the break. “This is a lot better than those fucking pills. I should keep you locked away in here for when I need some stress relief.”

“You can borrow me for a few weeks during Christmas break,” Justin volunteered, causing Brian to chuckle. “But you have to promise to take me home every night.”

“And what if I want to keep you here indefinitely?” Brian countered, smirking slightly.

“Then you’d have to stay here indefinitely too,” Justin informed him, grinning against his let pectoral. “To keep me amused.”

Justin appeared to be very easy to amuse because seconds later he was kneeling down between his spread legs and busy unfastening the button and zipper. Brian groaned as Justin slipped his cock free from his black briefs, barely resisting the urge to arch into the blonde’s touch. Instead, he gripped the armrest tightly with his left hand so as not to put any pressure on his shoulder, his right arm still hanging useless in the sling.

“You know, I haven’t gotten to spend much time with your better half since Saturday,” Justin murmured, nudging Brian’s half-hard cock with his nose. “In fact, I don’t think we’ve even been in such close contact since we left New York.”

“God, I must have been really fucked this weekend,” Brian groaned as Justin wrapped his lips around the head of his cock. “Why didn’t you blow me this morning or yesterday?”

Justin pulled back so that Brian’s dick slipped from his lips. His right hand, however, was still stroking it into full hardness. “We were running late and didn’t have the time. And last night you were kinda drunk and passed out. Now do you want me to keep talking or should I finish what I started?”

Not waiting for a response, Justin dipped his head back down and began to suck on his balls, all the while nudging the underside of Brian’s cock with his nose. Doing his best to keep his shoulders pressed against the chair, Brian reached out with his left hand to graze his fingers against the blonde’s throat, doing his best to mimic the patterns with his fingers that Justin was creating on his dick with the tip of his tongue.

“You up for some more traditional fucking?” Justin murmured against the side of his cock.

Brian smirked, managing to open his eyes a crack. “What do you think?”

“I think that you’re on the verge of spermal poisoning if you don’t get to come soon,” Justin grinned as he rose to his full height, pushing Brian’s chair back to make room for himself.

While Brian watched on, casually stroking his cock, Justin performed a little strip tease for him. He was moving to a tune that Brian couldn’t hear as he gracefully removed grey tee and the black long-sleeve one under it. The grace was gone when Justin began to remove his shoes, bouncing around in a circle while he struggled with his sneakers.

“You know, laughing at me really doesn’t promote arousal,” Justin chastised when he finally got one of his shoes off. He tossed the sneaker at Brian so that it bounced off his knee before tumbling to the ground.

“Then try standing still this time,” Brian chuckled as he kicked the shoe back at Justin.

“Oh you are so gonna get it,” Justin threatened as he stalked towards Brian with his jeans undone and one shoe still on.

Laughing, Brian grabbed hold of the top of Justin’s boxers and guided the teen back between his knees. “Actually, I think, you are, Sunshine.”


	19. Glimmering Sunshine

There was something off. Something was definitely off about the entire situation. For the life of him Justin couldn’t figure out why Brian would willingly consent to go to Lindsay and Melanie’s when the pair were in the process of trying to talk Brian into giving up his rights to Gus. It didn’t make any sense. 

“Why are we going to the munchers?” Justin asked, glancing over at Brian as the older man drove the pair to their friends.

“Because Lindz’ll have my balls in a sling if we don’t go try her chicken garlic thing,” Brian mumbled, glancing everywhere but at him. “Then she’ll squeeze yours just because she can.”

“Bri, what aren’t you telling me?” Justin demanded. Brian was a terrible liar and Justin knew all the warning signs. And each and every one of those signs was visible at that moment. “You’re going to sign over your rights, aren’t you?”

Brian was silent for a long moment, his eyes flickering over to Justin momentarily. “I... I don’t know, Sunshine. A part of me knows that I shouldn’t, but.... I can’t just do what’s best for me. I have to think of Gus, too. And what’s best for him might not be me.”

“How can you even think that, Brian?” Justin hissed, slumping back in his seat. “You’re his father. That’s not just something you can give up.”

“Even if I give up my rights, it doesn’t mean I’m going to be abandoning him,” Brian said to him as he pulled into Lindsay and Melanie’s driveway. “I would never abandon him.”

At first, Justin was startled by the emphatic way Brian hissed the last sentence. It made him feel awful for even considering that Brian would do something like that. Ducking his head down, Justin unfastened his seatbelt and turned to open the door. Before he could open the door, however, he noticed Brian fumbling with his own seatbelt. Without a word, Justin turned and placed his hand over Brian’s left one, halting his movements.

“Look, Bri, I didn’t mean.... I know you wouldn’t abandon Gus,” Justin apologized as he released Brian’s seatbelt. “I’m just.... I don’t know. Projecting or something. If I start acting like a twat again, just let me know. Tell me to shut up or something.”

Brian leaned forward and brushed a kiss against his forehead. “Don’t worry about it. Let’s just go inside.”

The hyper-activity inside the house was proof enough to Justin that the other couple fully believed that Brian was going to sign over his parental rights to Melanie. Justin was still completely against Brian signing over his rights, but he’d said his part and was consigned to letting Brian make the decision on his own.

“Give me my kid,” Brian demanded as soon as he shed his coat. Without waiting for a response, Brian stalked into the living room and over to the coffee table where Gus sat in his carrier. “Hey there, Sonnyboy.”

Justin listened with only half an ear to what Lindsay was saying to him as he watched Brian settled himself down on the couch with his feet resting on the coffee table, knees upraised so that he could lean Gus against thighs. Seeing the way Brian’s large hands cradled Gus so carefully was one of Justin’s favourite sights. It was completely obvious just how much Brian loved the infant at moments like that and for the life of him he couldn’t figure out how Lindsay and Melanie couldn’t see it. They had to know that Brian loved Gus and that the thought of giving him up was tearing him apart.

“I hope you’re hungry, Justin, because I made a lot of food,” Lindsay said, placing a hand on his arm momentarily as she walked past him. “You know, you two never did tell us how your weekend was.”

“I think you know how it went,” Brian snarked from over on the couch. “Justin and I were enjoying a fantastic weekend of sucking and fucking only to have it cut short by the merry munchers.”

“Gus was sick,” Lindsay cried in Justin’s ear. “Excuse me for thinking that you’d want to be informed of it.”

“You know that I’d want to know if Gus was sick,” Brian insisted, his voice calm despite the angry scowl twisting his features. “You’re conveniently leaving out the fact that you called in the middle of the night demanding that we drive back to the Pitts when there was nothing we could have done anyway. And since you were so insistent that we come back right away, Justin and I headed here instead of going home after a long day of driving.”

“Oh you are so not blaming the accident on us,” Melanie hissed, snorting mirthlessly. “We had nothing to do with what happened.”

“If I wanted to I could spin this so that it was your fault, but we al know that it’s not true,” Brian drawled, grinning down at who was reaching a hand in his direction. “It’s just one pretty fucked up thing that happened.... Isn’t that right, Sonnyboy?”

Enjoying the image of father and son, Justin stepped away from Lindsay and moved towards the couch. However, as he got closer, the picturesque image began to fade. Justin could tell right away just how exhausted Brian was. Not only that, but Brian’s injuries were also more obvious. The bruising and scratches were not as visible as Justin’s because they were hidden by his shirt and longer bangs, but, knowing where they were, Justin could easily spot them.

“The chicken should be ready now so how about we go eat,” Lindsay suggested, her voice overly cheerful.

Since Brian wouldn’t be able to get up with Gus in his lap, Justin extracted the infant as he stood up, staying close in case Brian needed any help. As he had expected, Brian did everything in his power to avoid needing Justin’s help, relying instead on his well developed leg muscles. When Justin started to move away once Brian had risen to his full height, the taller man reached out with his good arm, holding Justin against his side.

The two sets of lovers sat across from their partners at the table with Gus occupying a space between Brian and Lindsay. It was an incredibly tense meal interrupted by stilted conversation that went nowhere. Justin didn’t even mention his role in the school play which would be performed in late May. Knowing Sally it would not be long before everyone found out, but at the moment Justin couldn’t make himself mention it. In fact, Justin didn’t even want to be there. At least not then. Normally Justin loved to be at Lindsay and Melanie’s house, but knowing what they wanted Brian to do....

It was unfathomable to Justin how Lindsay and Melanie could justify their demands for Brian to give up his rights to Gus. They were parents themselves and should have understood how Brian felt about his son. He wasn’t naïve enough to think that Brian had wanted Gus all along. Justin knew that he had only donated his sperm at Lindsay’s insistence. What Justin did believe was that it had all changed since Gus’ birth. Of that Justin was completely certain because he had witnessed it all first hand. He saw the way that Brian was with Gus and knew that the older man loved his son.

However, Justin also wasn’t naïve enough to believe that Brian would retain his rights to Gus simply because he wanted to.

“Mel and I were thinking of having everyone over for Christmas Eve,” Lindsay said about halfway through the meal. “And the two of you are invited over every night for Chanukah.”

“Poor kid doesn’t stand a chance,” Brian snorted, taking a sip of wine. “He’s the son of two Protestant WASPs, a Jew and a lax Irish Catholic. If we’re lucky he’ll turn out to be an atheist.”

“Brian!” Lindsay chided.

Brian rolled his eyes almost comically. “Would you prefer he go join a cult?”

“Let’s just worry about him sitting up first without falling over,” Melanie said, picking up her own glass.

Things became silent again for a few minutes before Lindsay asked, “Why do you keep saying that Justin is Gus’ father? Don’t get me wrong, sweetheart, I know that you love Gus, but you’re still in highschool. That’s far too young to worry about parenthood.”

“Maybe because he loves Gus just as much as any of us,” Brian stated casually, leaning back in his chair. “He’s been there for Gus’ entire life, the same as me. Justin would put Gus before himself in anything, and has. You were there the night that fuck Walker showed up at the loft. You saw what he did to Justin. He was bleeding all over the floor and his only concern was getting to Gus to keep him safe.”

“But what happens if you and Justin end things?” Lindsay protested quietly.

“What happens if you and Mel end things?” Brian countered with a smirk. “You and Mel could be done in a month and Justin and I could still be together when Gus graduates from highschool. We don’t know what’s going to happen and neither do you. But no matter what, Gus is going to have Justin in his life. Even if we call it quits tomorrow, Justin is still going to be a part of our family.”

Nether woman had anything to say to that and, for that matter, neither did Justin. There was no doubting that Brian fully believed everything he was saying and that was what shocked Justin the most. he didn’t doubt it when Brian claimed that he loved him, but still so used to existing on a day to day basis, Justin hadn’t given much thought to the future. At least not that much farther than getting his SAT scores and graduating from highschool. Justin didn’t even know where he wanted to go after he graduated. When he’d lived at home, it had always been assumed that he would study business at Dartmouth like his father had. That he hadn’t liked business wasn’t even a factor. It was simply something that was expected of him. In the past few months, Justin once again found himself with a variety of options, moreso than when he’d lived with his parents.

Wanting to break the heavy tension that filled the diningroom, Justin decided to tell Lindsay and Melanie about his role in the play. Both were enthusiastic and seemed quite amused by the notion of Justin dressing in drag for the party scene. They insisted that they would be there in the front row opening night along with Brian and the rest of the family.

Unfortunately, the tension returned full force once dinner was over and the table was cleared. It was obvious to Justin that the two women were trying to find a polite way to ask Brian to sign the papers that would terminate his parental rights to Gus.

“Let’s get this overwith,” Brian grumbled, pushing his chair back from the table. “Justin, can you take Gus into the living room.”

Disappointed that Brian was actually going to go through with signing the papers, Justin nonetheless did what Brian asked. He crossed around to the other side of the table and picked Gus up out of his carrier on the table. After momentarily squeezing the back of Brian’s neck in a silent show of support, Justin left the dining room, taking the sleepy infant into the living room. Justin picked a spot where he could still see what was going on in the kitchen, sitting against the arm of the couch with Gus lying stomach down on his chest. Gus was on the verge of sleep, his tiny fists clutching at Justin’s shirt as he got himself settled.

“No matter what happens, Gus, I’ll make sure that you always know just how much your daddy loves you,” Justin whispered against the top of the downy head. “That’s why this is so hard for him.”

Keeping his eyes on Gus, Justin listened to what was going on in the dining room. Murmured voices, chairs moving, something being tossed down on the table. Risking a glance over at one point, Justin saw Lindsay handing Brian a pen. The document was sitting on the table directly in front of him.

“What do you mean you’re not going to sign it?!”

Justin’s head shot up at Melanie’s furious shout, his eyes immediately locking on the drama in the other room.

“I’m not giving up my kid,” Brian said solemnly.

“We had an agreement, Bri,” Lindsay insisted, dropping down into her seat.

Brian leaned back in his chair, pinching the bridge of his nose. “That was before. Gus wasn’t a real person then.”

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Justin couldn’t stop the smile that spread across his face.

“God, Brian, this is so like you,” Melanie scowled. “Just once I’d like to see you do something you said you would.”

“Brian, please just sign the papers,” Lindsay pleaded, reaching over to touch Brian’s arm.

“I’m not going to give him up,” Brian repeated, rising out of the chair and stalking into the living room. “He’s my kid.”

It baffled Justin that the two women couldn’t understand Brian’s protests. They were mothers and should have realized just how difficult it was for a parent to give up its child.

“Would you be able to give up Gus?” Justin demanded of them.

“Justin, sweetheart--”

“No,” Justin interrupted Melanie, rising to his feet with Gus cradled carefully against his chest. “I want you to answer me. Would either of you be able to give up Gus?”

“Of course we wouldn’t,” Lindsay answered immediately.

By this time Brian and Justin were standing side by side. “Then how could you ask Brian to? He loves Gus just as much as either of you.”

“We’re not denying that,” Lindsay argued, her voice soft and understanding. “But Mel and I are Gus’ full-time parents and it’s unfair to Melanie if she doesn’t have the same rights as I do.”

“So you’ll steal Brian’s from him? Make him count for nothing?” Justin demanded, his voice calm as a result of the sleeping infant in his arms.

“That’s not what we’re trying to do. We want what’s best for Gus. Brian knows that,” Lindsay tried again, her eyes beseeching Brian to change his mind.

“We’ve got t go,” Brian said quietly. “I promised Justin I’d take him out to celebrate getting in the play.”

Even though he was relieved that Brian wasn’t singing over his parental rights to Melanie, Justin knew better than to say anything about it. Instead he handed Gus over to Lindsay, smoothing his hand over the back of the infant’s head before returning to Brian’s side.

As they made their way towards the rental car, a black Corvette that Brian was quickly falling in love with, Brian’s arm snaked out to warp around Justin’s waist, pulling him close. Snow was starting to drift down around them and there was already a light blanket of snow already on the ground.

“You would probably be a lawyer if you wanted to,” Brian mused as they settled down in the vehicle. “It’s not often that Mel doesn’t have a comeback.”

Justin fastened his seatbelt then turned to help Brian with his. “I think I’ll stick to art if it’s all the same to you... Look, Bri, I’m glad that you didn’t sign the papers. Gus should know who his father is.”

Brian said nothing, nodding his head silently as he awkwardly started the car. In fact he seemed incredibly subdued, something that Justin hadn’t expected considering Brian hadn’t signed the papers. It didn’t take long before Justin realized that they were heading towards the loft and not Woody’s as they had originally planned. It didn’t surprise Justin with Brian’s current mood as well as the ass kicking he’d received from whatever he’d drunk the night before.

Catching sight of Brian shifting uncomfortably in his seat, Justin reached over to squeeze the back of his throat, massaging the tense muscles. He honestly hadn’t expected Brian to react in such a way since he had not, in fact, signed over his parental rights to Melanie. It didn’t make any sense. Not that much of what Brian did made sense.

“I looked over and saw you,” Brian said quietly as Justin walked past him when they entered the loft.

Pausing in the middle of removing his coat, Justin turned towards Brian who was still hovering near the door. “You see me all the time.”

A half grinned tugged at the left side of Brian’s lips and he lifted his hand to scratch at his forehead. “Tonight. At the munchers. Mel dropped the papers down in front of me, but the pen they gave me wouldn’t work. When they were looking for another one, I looked towards the living room and saw you there with Gus. I don’t know why but... I couldn’t do it after that.”

Dropping his coat onto the ground, Justin crossed the distance between himself and Brian and helped the taller man out of his own coat. “You did the right thing, Bri,” Justin whispered, cupping the side of Brian’s throat, his thumb moving over the bottom of his jaw. “Lindz and Mel would know that too if they weren’t being so selfish.”

“I’m hardly an ideal role model for him,” Brian protested weakly.

“Well I for one think you’re a great father to Gus,” Justin said earnestly, standing up on tiptoe so that he was able to press his forehead to Brian’s. “He’s lucky to have such a great dad and I’m gonna make sure you don’t forget that. Once he’s older, Gus will do the same.”

“You know, we never did get to have desert,” Brian murmured against Justin’s lips in a blatant attempt to change the subject.

Knowing what the look in Brian’s eyes meant, Justin had no problem letting him change the subject. It was pain management, but Justin was just glad that Brian was turning to him and not disappearing into the backroom at Babylon.

Backing away from Brian with a broad grin spread across his face, Justin grabbed hold of his left hand and pulled him towards the bedroom.


	20. Glimmering Sunshine

“Hey, Sunshine, come congratulate me!” Brian cried as he threw open the door to the loft. He had his briefcase in one hand, his jacket draped over his arm and a bottle of champagne in his other hand. “Your partner just made partner!”

“You’re shitting me?” Justin squealed, appearing at the ledge of the bedroom platform.

“I shit you not. I’ve got the papers in my briefcase,” Brian confirmed as he dropped said briefcase on the ground, his coat following immediately after.

With an excited yell, Justin bounded down the steps and raced across the loft to launch himself into Brian’s arms. Justin hoisted himself up, winding his legs around Brian’s waist as he began ravaging Brian’s mouth. Brian had been in Chicago for the past three days, landing the mother of all accounts which had earned him his partnership with Ryder. Having been working mainly on the Liberty Air account since early fall, this trip was the longest that he and Justin had been apart since the blonde had moved in with him. The greeting that he was receiving was quickly making up for the three day absence from his lover.

“I can’t believe you made partner,” Justin mumbled into Brian’s mouth. “That’s fucking amazing!”

“Which is why we’re going to celebrate,” Brian announced, turning around to shut and lock the door before maneuvering his way towards the bedroom with Justin still wrapped around his waist. To ensure that he didn’t drop the blonde, Brian wrapped his stronger left arm under Justin’s bountiful bottom while he wound his right around his waist.

“I like the sound of that,” Justin sighed against the side of Brian’s throat before returning to sucking on his jugular.

Brian navigated his way across the loft and mounted the steps to the bedroom, climbing into the ethereal blue glow that lit the space. Knowing the exact distance from the steps to the bed, Brian dipped his head down, pressing his face into Justin’s throat to inhale his intoxicating scent.

“Gaba!”

The excited cry stopped Brian dead in his tracks. Setting Justin down on the ground, Brian stepped around his lover and stared at the bed in shock.

“Baaaaa....”

There, lying in the center of the bed surrounded on all sides by pillows lay his son-- their son --smiling and reaching towards him with both hands.

“Justin, what is Gus doing here?” Brian asked, his eyes darting from the bed, to Justin, and back again to the infant. The way that the blonde was fidgeting had him instantly on edge. “Why isn’t he with his mommies?”

Justin opened and closed his mouth a few times, snaking his fingers through his hair. “He’s umm.... He’s kinda been living here... since yesterday....”

“And just why has Gus been living here in the middle of the week?” Brian demanded, doing his best to keep his voice calm so as not to upset their son. Seeing Gus start to squirm around, his small fists balling up, Brian handed Justin the bottle of champagne and moved over to the bed to pick him up. He held Gus against his chest, the infant snuggling into place and immediately latching onto Brian’s tie. “What happened that you didn’t tell me?”

“It’s not that I forgot to tell you.... It’s just that.... Well, I didn’t know what to tell you,” Justin mumbled as he fiddled with the bottle in his hands. “This kinda just got sprung on me when I wasn’t paying attention.”

Brian arched an eyebrow in the blonde’s direction which only seemed to make him more nervous. “I just want to know what’s going on, Justin. Why is Gus here and not with his mommies?”

“From what I can tell they had a falling out. Lindz showed up here last night and asked me if I could take Gus for a few days because Mel had left and she needed to figure out what to do,” Justin said at last. “I guess Mel slept with someone else and Lindsay threw her out. I’m not exactly sure. Lindz was kinda hysterical when she brought Gus over and I figured that it would be better just to take him and find out what was going on later.”

It was taking everything Brian had to remain calm. She was supposed to be the responsible parent and in the middle of the week she had left her son with a teenager who still had to go to school. All of them knew how hard Justin had to work to complete extra assignments so that he could graduate that spring with the rest of his class and not get left behind because he’d missed almost an entire semester thanks to Damian. That was even ignoring the fact that he still had to go to school while Lindsay had convinced Mel to let her be a stay-at-home mom.

“What did you do today for school?” Brian demanded, staring down at his son’s sleepy face for a moment before turning his attention back to his lover.

“Debbie took him,” Justin answered immediately. “She has to work the late shift today so she said she’d take him while I went to school.”

Brian knew that he owed Deb big time for that. She had enough to worry about and take care of without the added distraction of a baby. he was also going to have a long talk with the not-so-merry munchers about certain parental do’s and don’ts. The most obvious of which was that they shouldn’t have left Gus with Justin for an undisclosed amount of time when he still had to go to school.

“Okay, take Gus. I’m going to go to muncherland and find out what the fuck is going on,” Brian announced moving towards Justin to exchange the infant for the bottle of champagne.

“No,” Justin stated, backing away so that Brian couldn’t hand him Gus. “It’s late and you’re upset. You’re not going to go over there and make things worse. We’ll keep Gus for tonight and go over tomorrow to find out what’s going on.”

Brian glared at Justin, but knew that the younger man wouldn’t be deterred. And while he wanted to make Justin see reason and realize that this problem needed to be dealt with as soon as possible, he was aware that there would be no changing Justin’s mind. On top of that, it would be much easier to deal with Lindsay if he could bribe her with doughnuts first thing in the morning.

“You know, Sonnyboy, your moms have a real shitty sense of timing,” Brian murmured, dipping his head down to brush a kiss against the top of Gus’ head. “I was planning on celebrating with your dad tonight, but it looks like we’re going to have to put things on hold.”

“I’m sure that we can still find some way to celebrate,” Justin grinned, sidling up to Brian and sinking his fingers into his lover’s hair.

Brian arched an eyebrow, shifting Gus into a more comfortable position. “That so? And just what have you got in mind, my little twink?”

“Call me that again and I won’t tell you,” Justin laughed, turning away from Brian and heading back down to the main part of the loft. “Just put Gus down in the middle of all the pillows. He was about to fall asleep when you got home.”

Not to sure what Justin had planned, but not about to question him, Brian lightly kissed the top of Gus’ head before moving back towards the bed that he and Justin shared. 

“Don’t worry, Sonnyboy, your dad and I will figure out what’s going on with your moms,” Brian promised his son as he climbed the platform steps that led up to the bed. “Everything will be back to normal by tomorrow.”

As he tenderly set Gus down in the center of the bed, Brian consciously realized for the first time that there was no one who had slept in that bed save him and Justin since that fateful night in September five and a half months before. Strangely enough, it didn’t bother him at all. Now that Justin was more at ease with himself, Brian never found himself bored when the two of them had sex.

Which was why Brian wasn’t too surprised to find Justin lying reclined on the chaise lounge, naked, with a pint sized container of ice cream resting on his stomach. The bottle of champagne stood on the ground next to him along with two fluted glasses.

“That ice cream wasn’t in the freezer when I left,” Brian commented absently as he crossed the distance between himself and Justin, shedding his shirt as he went.

“That’s ‘cause I just bought it yesterday,” Justin confirmed, lifting a spoonful to his mouth, wrapping his lips around the icy confection.

By the time Brian joined Justin at the lounge he was naked as well. Switching places with Justin, Brian stretched out on the black leather with the artist straddling his waist. He felt more comfortable in that moment than he had been since he’d climbed out of bed four days ago.

This time when Justin scooped out a spoonful of ice cream, he held it out to Brian, tauntingly bobbing it around in front of his mouth. Brian opened his mouth a fraction of an inch, just wide enough for Justin to slip the ice cream laden spoon past his lips. He couldn’t help but grin at Justin’s hugely infectious smile. When Justin slid the spoon from his mouth, leaving the ice cream behind, Brian speared his fingers through the blonde strands so that he could pull Justin into a kiss.

“Ice cream kisses,” Justin giggled into Brian’s mouth as their lips parted.

Brian sucked his lips in, savouring the taste of the ice cream and Justin mix. “And why didn’t you introduce me to this earlier?”

“‘Cause you’re a health conscious freak,” Justin laughed, reaching in for another spoonful. “Now open up. You’re eating at least half of this.”

Under normal circumstances Brian would have protested such an idea and, for a few minutes, he did. That was, until he got a taste of the combination of ice cream and Justin’s skin when the blonde accidentally dribbled some on his chest. Sitting himself up as much he was able on the chaise, Brian attached his mouth to Justin’s chest, licking away the slightly melted ice cream. As Brian’s tongue slithered along Justin’s skin, the smaller man began to tremble and leaned into him.

As a result of that discovery by the time Brian rolled on a condom and slipped inside Justin’s hole they were both a sticky mess.

“There’s still... some ice cream... left....” Justin moaned as he thrust himself up and down along Brian’s shaft.

Brian’s response was to take the carton and spoon from Justin’s hands and set them down on either side of the chaise. Then he was able to focus his whole attention on fucking Justin within an inch of his life. He slid back enough so that he was able to lay Justin back against the lower part of the chaise, half crouching as he thrust his hips, going as deep as he was able with each motion.

Moaning, Justin wound his arms around Brian’s throat, pulling himself up so that their chests were pressed almost flushed together. Brian slid one hand under Justin’s body, pressing down on the ground, to hold them up, his right hand gripping Justin’s hip. The two were so close that the underside of Justin’s cock was rubbing continuously against Brian’s stomach, smearing precum all over his skin.

His arm only officially healed a few weeks, Brian felt his arms begin to tremble long before they would have before the accident. Still, he held Justin up despite the tremors shaking his upper body, his lips devouring Justin’s to the point where both of them were gasping for breath.

“Mmmmm... god.... I love you,” Brian moaned into Justin’s mouth as he came, his body going rigid.

Moments later, Justin gave a cry of his own, his head falling back as he moaned Brian’s name. Brian stared down at Justin’s face, memorizing the ecstasy written on his lover’s face. Memorizing the beauty of the man he loved.

A short while later, after cleaning up and having a quick shower, the two lay facing each other on the bed, Gus sound asleep between them. Neither of them really moved much while they slept and considering they didn’t have a crib for him there was no other place for Gus to sleep. Not that Brian minded. He liked having the two of them so close to him. With the blue lights overhead, Brian was awed by the beauty of the two most important people in his life. His lover and his son.

“You’re staring at me,” Justin mumbled sleepily, opening his eyes a crack.

“Well at least I’m not drawing you,” Brian teased, reaching across Gus to cup Justin’s cheek.

“Touché,” Justin giggled, turning his head enough to brush a kiss against the inside of Brian’s wrist.

Brian grinned back, sliding his hand back slightly so that he could run his fingers through Justin’s hair. The silky strands moved easily through his fingers and Brian suddenly realized just how long Justin’s hair was getting. Seeing him on a day to day basis, Brian hadn’t been fully aware that it had gotten so longer, long enough to nearly cover his ears.

“You are so beautiful,” Brian sighed, stroking the curve of Justin’s jaw with his thumb. “And every second I am more and more blown away by just how strong you are, how resilient. I always want you to remember that, okay. Promise me you’ll remember that.”

Justin stared at him, furrowing his brows in confusion. “Is this the part where you tell me that I have to go?”

“No,” Brian answered immediately. “Never. I want you around for a long time. I was just making an observation.”

“Well in that case thank you,” Justin murmured, a broad grin on his face. “I love you too.”

Between them Gus shifted slightly, his lips puckering slightly.

Less than twelve hours later, whatever peace of mind Brian had been feeling was blown away when he and Justin took Gus back to his mommies.

“How the fuck can this all be my fault?” Brian demanded, pinching the bridge of his nose against the headache he could feel forming. “I didn’t tell Mel to sleep around. In fact, I’m pretty sure that she came to that conclusion all on her own.”

“Shut up, Bri!” Lindsay cried, glaring daggers at him. “This is so your fault. You wouldn’t sign your rights over to Mel!”

Brian squeezed his eyes shut, folding his hands over his nose and mouth.

“Don’t you think you’re overreacting?” Justin spoke up, coming to stand beside Brian. “Brian didn’t make Mel do anything. She chose to cheat all on her own. Did you ever think that maybe it’s something you did?”

Lindsay looked as though Justin had hit her, dropping down onto the couch.

“Lindz, I’m sorry,” Justin apologized immediately, going to sit on the table in front of her. “But blaming Brian really won’t help.”

“We’ve been together for six years,” Lindsay lamented, sniffling and scrubbing at her eyes with the back of her hands. “We were supposed to be together for the rest of our lives. Grow old together, get wrinkles, become grandmothers. Now it’s all over.”

Brian rolled his eyes, closing the distance between himself and the other two. “Okay, now you’re really overreacting. Mel slept with someone once. It’s not the end of the world. You two just need to talk or so whatever it is that you lesbians do when you’re making up. Now I’m going to be generous and not bring up you abandoning Gus with Justin in the middle of the week when he’s still in school.”

Lindsay sniffled again and Justin got up to go into the kitchen, returning a few moments later with a box of tissues. “I want Mel to come home, but I don’t know if I can trust her right now. And if I can’t trust her, what is there?”

As bad as he felt for her, there was nothing that Brian could do to help Lindsay. He had no desire to play stage manager for her and Melanie’s relationship because, quite frankly, he didn’t mind her being gone too much. As far as he was concerned, the former biker dyke had never been worthy of his friend. The two had always rubbed each other the wrong way and while Brian respected her legal abilities, he didn’t trust her to keep Lindsay happy indefinitely.

By the time Monday morning came there was no sign of a reconciliation on the part of Lindsay and Melanie. The lawyer had moved in with a cousin of hers who lived in the city while Lindsay stayed at the house with Gus. For the time being, Brian vowed to stay out of the conflict. It had nothing to do with him and he wanted to keep it that way for as long as possible. If he had no choice but to involve himself, Brian would, but he wanted to remain on the sidelines as long as possible and let the two women settle their differences themselves.

Brian had other things to deal with, foremost of all being one of his top accounts being on the verge of collapse. His team filled the conference room and he assigned the appropriate tasks to help salvage what was left of the floundering account. Before it was even ten o’clock Brian’s stress levels were incredibly high and his temper short.

“I made those changes you wanted,” Kip Thomas said as he entered Brian’s new office.


End file.
